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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2011  with  funding  from 

Princeton  Theological  Seminary  Library 


http://www.archive.org/details/womanhersaviouOOIaur 


c    I    hoYTiaS      Laurie^  3 


WOMAN  AND  HER  SAVIOUR 


IN    PERSIA. 


A   RETURNED    MISSIONARY. 


Jine  illustrations,  anb  a   Pap  of  gfrstorian  Conntrg. 


BOSTON: 
GOULD     AND      LINCOLN, 

59   Washington   Street. 

NEW  YORK:    SHELDON   AND   COMPANY. 

CINCINNATI:   GEO.  S.  BLANCHARD. 

1863. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1863,  by 

GOULD    AND     LINCOLN, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


ELECTR OT Y PED  AT  THE 
BOSTON  STEREOTYPE  FOUNDRY. 


PREFACE. 


Our  Saviour  bade  his  disciples  gather  up  the  fragments,  that 
nothing  be  lost ;  and  many  who  have  known  of  Miss  Fiske's  fifteen 
years  of  labor  for  woman  in  Persia,  have  desired  her  to  prepare 
for  publication  the  facts  now  presented  to  the  reader.  The  writer 
was  one  of  these ;  and  it  was  only  when  he  found  that  she  could 
not  do  it,  that  he  attempted  it,  in  accordance  with  her  wishes, 
simply  that  these  interesting  records  of  divine  grace  might  not 
be  lost. 

The  materials  have  been  drawn  from  the  letters  and  conversa- 
tions of  those  familiar  with  the  scenes  described,  and  especially 
from  Miss  Fiske.  In  all  cases,  the  language  of  others  has  been 
condensed,  as  much  as  is  consistent  with  the  truthful  expression 
of  their  ideas ;  and,  in  the  translation  of  the  letters  of  Nestorians, 
it  has  not  been  deemed  essential  to  follow  slavishly  every  Syriac 
idiom,  for,  instead  of  these  letters  owing  their  interest,  as  some 
have  supposed,  to  their  translators,  they  may  have  sometimes  rather 
suffered  from  renderings  needlessly  idiomatic. 

It  was  at  one  time  proposed  to  embrace  the  history  of  both  the 

Male  and  Female  Seminaries,  but  the  proposition  came  too  late,  and 

the  memoir  of  the  lamented  Stoddard  gives  so  full  an  account  of 
1*  (v) 


VI  PREFACE. 

the  former,  that  now  we  need  to  hear  only  the  story  of  its  less 
known  companion ;  but  let  the  reader  bear  in  mind  that  as  much 
might  have  been  said  of  the  one  as  of  the  other,  had  the  design 
been  to  give  an  account  of  both. 

A  strict  adherence  to  the  order  of  events  in  the  following  pages 
would  have  produced  a  series  of  disjointed  annals.  To  avoid  such 
a  breaking  up  of  the  narrative,  each  subject  has  been  treated  in 
full  whenever  introduced,  though  that  has  involved  a  freedom 
somewhat  independent  of  chronological  order. 

The  notices  of  the  revivals  are  mere  incidental  sketches.  Their 
complete  history  remains  to  be  written. 

The  beautiful  Illustrations  introduced  are  all  new,  copied  from 
sketches  taken  on  the  spot  by  the  skilful  pencil  of  a  dear  mis- 
sionary brother,  whose  modesty,  though  it  will  not  consent  to  the 
mention  of  his  name,  yet  cannot  prevent  a  grateful  sense  of  his 
kindness.  The  Map  is  an  improvement  on  others  previously  pub- 
lished, and,  besides  adding  to  our  geographical  knowledge,  will  be 
found  valuable  to  the  friends   of  missions. 

If  the  readers  of  these  pages  enjoy  but  a  small  part  of  the 
delight  found  in  their  preparation,  the  writer  will  not  regret  his 
undertaking.  May  the  day  be  hastened  when  heaven  shall  repeat 
the  hosannas  of  a  regenerated  world,  even  as  now  the  abundant 
grace  bestowed  upon  the  Nestorians  redounds,  through  the 
thanksgiving  of  many,  to  the  glory  of  God. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER    I. 
WOMAN  WITHOUT  THE  GOSPEL. 

POLITICAL     CONDITION. NESTORIAN     HOUSES. VERMIN.  SICK- 
NESS.  POSITION    AND    ESTIMATION    OF    WOMAN. NO    READERS 

AMONG    THEM. UNLOVELY    SPIRIT. SINS     OF    THE    TONGUE. 

PROFANITY. LYING. STEALING. STORY    ABOUT    PINS. IM- 
PURITY.  MOSLEM    INTERFERENCE    "WITH    SEMINARY       ....       13 

CHAPTER    II. 

MARBEESHOO. 

VISIT     THERE.  —  NATIVE    ACCOMMODATIONS HOSPITALITY    OF    SE- 

NUM. MOHAMMEDAN    WOMEN 27 

CHAPTER    III. 
THE  SCENE  OF  THE  NARRATIVE. 

NESTORIANS.   THEIR        COUNTRY.   FRONTISPIECE.  LAKE.  

PLAIN. FORDING    THE    SHAHER. MISSION  PREMISES  IN  OROO- 

MIAH 33 

CHAPTER    IV. 
MISSIONARY  EDUCATION. 

OBJECT.  —  MEANS.  —  STUDY    OF    BIBLE.  —  PUPILS     KEPT     IN    SYMPA- 

(Vii) 


Vlll  CONTENTS, 


THY    WITH     THE     PEOPLE. PEOPLE     STIMULATED    TO    EXERTION 

AND    SELF-DEPENDENCE.  —  TAHITI.  —  MADAGASCAR  ....       42 


CHAPTER    V. 

BEGINNINGS. 

MRS.    GRANT. EARLY    LIFE    AND    LABORS. GREAT    INFLUENCE. — 

HER     SCHOOL. HER     PUPILS. BOARDING     SCHOOL. GETTING 

PUPILS.  CARE      OF      THEM. POVERTY      OF     PEOPLE. PAYING 

FOR  FOOD  OF  SCHOLARS. POSITION  OF  UNMARRIED  MISSION- 
ARY   LADIES. BOOKS 48 

CHAPTER    VI. 
THE  SEMINARY. 

MAR    YOHANAN. STANDARD     OF     SCHOLARSHIP. ENGLISH     BOOKS 

READ  IN  SYRIAC. — EXPENSE. FEELINGS  OF  PARENTS. DO- 
MESTIC   DEPARTMENT. DAILY  REPORTS. PICTURE    OF  A  WEEK 

DAY  AND  SABBATH.  —  "IF  YOU  LOVE  ME,  LEAN  HARD."  —  ESLl's 
JOURNAL. LETTER  FROM  PUPILS  TO  MOUNT  HOLYOKE  SEMI- 
NARY.   FROM    THE    SAME    TO    MRS.    C.    T.    MILLS 57 

CHAPTER    VII. 
VACATION  SCENES. 

IN     GAWAE    AND     ISHTAZIN.  VILLAGES     OF     MEMIKAN.  OOREYA, 

DARAWE,     AND     SANAWAR. IN     GAVALAN. ACCOMMODATIONS. 

SABBATH    SCHOOL 73 

CHAPTER    VIII. 
EARLY   LABORS   EOR   WOMEN. 

FIRST    MEETINGS  "WITH  THEM.  —  FIRST    CONVERT. FIRST    LESSONS. 

"WILD    WOMEN    OF    ARDISHAI 81 


CONTENTS.  ix 

CHAPTER    IX. 
FRUITS  OF  LABOR  IN  NESTORIAN  HOMES. 

USEFULNESS  AMONG  RELATIVES  OF  PUPILS. DEACON    GUWERGIS. 

REFORMED  DRUNKARD  AND  HIS  DAUGHTER. MATERNAL  MEET- 
INGS.  EARLY  INQUIRERS  FROM  GEOG  TAPA. PARTING  AD- 
DRESS   OF    MR.  HOLLADAY. VISIT  TO    GEOG    TAPA.  SELBY  AND 

HER    CLOSET 87 

CHAPTER    X. 
GEOG    TAPA. 

DEACON    MURAD    KHAN    IN    1846.  —  PENTECOSTAL    SABBATH  IN   1849. 

MEETINGS     IN     1850     AND     1854. EXTRACTS     FROM    JOURNAL 

OF    YONAN    IN    1858 103 

CHAPTER    XI. 
REVIVAL  IN  1846. 

PREPARATORY      WORK.  SANCTIFIED      AFFLICTIONS.  NAME      FOR 

REVIVAL. SCENES  IN  THE  SEMINARIES   IN    JANUARY. DEACON 

JOHN,  SANUM,  AND  SARAH. MR.  STODDARD. YAKOB. —  YONAN. 

MEETING  IN  THE  BETHEL. PRIEST    ESHOO. DEACON    TAMO. 

PHYSICAL    EXCITEMENT  AND    ITS  CURE. ARTLESS    SIMPLICITY 

OF  CONVERTS. MISSIONARY  BOX. MEETINGS  BEFORE  VACA- 
TION.—  mr.  stoddard's  labors.  —  female  prayer  meeting. 

REVIVAL    IN    THE    AUTUMN 113 


CHAPTER    XII. 
FIRST  FRUITS. 

SARAH,    DAUGHTER    OF    PRIEST    ESHOO. MARTHA. HANNAH      .       .    127 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    XIII. 

SUBSEQUENT    REVIVALS. 

DEACON    JOHN     STUDYING-     BACKSLIDING    IN    1849.  —  WORK    IN    VIL- 
LAGE   OF    SEIR. WIVES    OF    SIYAD    AND    YONAN. KHANUMJAN. 

WOMEN     AT      THE      SEMINARY. GEOG      TAPA. DEGALA. A 

PENITENT. SIN    OF  ANGER.  REVIYAL    IN    1856. MISS    FISKE 

ENCOURAGED. STILLNESS     AND     DEEP     FEELING.  UNABLE     TO 

SING. CONVERSION  OF  MISSIONARY  CHILDREN. VISIT  OF  ENG- 
LISH   AMBASSADOR. REVIVAL    OF    1857.  LETTER    OF    SANUM     .    137 

CHAPTER    XIV. 
DARK  DAYS. 

SEMINARY    BROKEN    UP    IN    1844. — DEACON    ISAAC. PERSECUTION 

BY    MAR    SHIMON.  FUNERAL    OF    DAUGHTER    OF    PRIEST    ESHOO. 

DEACON    GUWERGIS. ATTEMPT    AT    ABDUCTION    OF    PUPIL. 

PERIL  OF  SCHOOL. MRS.  HARRIET  STODDARD. YAHYA   KHAN. 

ANARCHY. LETTER    FROM    BABILO 150 

CHAPTER    XV. 
TRIALS. 

EVIL     INFLUENCE     OF    HOMES. OPPOSITION     IN     DEGALA. ASKER 

KHAN.  POISONING      OF     SANUM's      CHILDREN.  REDRESS     RE- 
FUSED.  INQUISITOR     IN     SCHOOL.  TROUBLES    AT    KHOSRAWA. 

LETTERS    FROM    HOIMAR 161 

CHAPTER    XVI. 

PRAYERFULNESS. 

LANGUAGE    OF    PRAYER. PRAYER    ON    HORSEBACK.  —  OLD    MAN    IN 

SUPERGAN. MAR    OGEN. EARNESTNESS. FAREWELL    PRAYER 

MEETING  IN   1858 LETTER    FROM    PUPIL. SPIRIT    OF    PRAYER 

IN   1846.  —  WOMAN  WHO    COULD    NOT    PRAY.  —  ,l  CHRIST  BECOME 


CONTENTS.  XI 

BEAUTIFUL."  —  CLOSET  IN  THE    MANGER. MONTHLY  CONCERTS. 

PRAYERFULNESS     IN     1849     AND      1850.  —  SABBATH,      JANUARY 

20TH. INTEREST    CONTINUED    TILL    CLOSE    OF    TERM.  —  FAMILY 

MEETINGS. AUDIBLE    PRAYER. — ANSWER    TO    MOTHERS'   PRAY- 
ERS.  CONNECTION    OF    REVIVALS    WITH    PRAYER   AT    HOME   .       .    172 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

FORERUNNERS. 

MOUNTAIN    GIRLS    IN    SEMINARY.  PRAYING     SARAH. RETURN    TO 

THE     MOUNTAINS. VISIT    OF    YONAN    AND     KHAMIS,    IN    1850.  

OF    MR.  COAN,    1851. OF    YONAN,  AGAIN,    1861. SARAH'S    LET- 
TERS   191 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 
LABORERS  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS. 

LETTER  OF  BADAL. ACCOUNT    OF    HANNAH. THE    PIT. LETTER 

OF    GULY    AND    YOHANAN. ACCOUNT    OF    SARAH.  —  LETTERS    OF 

OSHANA. LETTERS    AND    JOURNAL    OF    SARAH.  LETTER    FROM 

AMADIA.  —  CONFERENCE    OF    NATIVE    HELPERS 205 

CHAPTER    XIX. 

EBENEZERS. 

EXAMINATION  IN  1850. COLLATION  AND  ADDRESS. VALEDIC- 
TORY BY  SANUM. SABBATH  SCHOOL  IN  GEOG  TAPA. EXAM- 
INATION   THERE    IN    1854. PRAYER    MEETING    AND    COMMUNION 

AT    OROOMIAH,  MAY,    1858. SELBY,    OF    GAVALAN,  AND    LETTER. 

LETTER    FROM    HATOON,    OF    GEOG    TAPA 223 

CHAPTER    XX. 
COMPOSITIONS. 

THE    FIELD    OF    CLOVER.  —  THE    LOST    SOUL. THE    SAVED    SOUL. 

HANNAH 244 


Xll  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    XXI. 
KIND    OFFICES. 

HOSPITALITY    OF     NESTORIANS. KINDNESS     OF    PUPILS. BATHING 

FEET. LETTERS    OF    GOZEL,  HANEE,   SANUM    OF    GAWAR,  MUNNY, 

RAHEEL,  AND    MARTA.  HOSHEBO. RAHEEL  TO    MRS.  FISKE. 

MOURNING  FOR  THE  DEAD. NAZLOO. HOSHEBO's  BEREAVE- 
MENT.    DEATH     OF     MISSIONARY     CHILDREN.  LETTER      FROM 

SARAH,    DAUGHTER    OF    JOSEPH 263 

CHAPTER    XXII. 
PROGRESS   AND    PROMISE. 

BENEVOLENCE,  EARLY  MANIFESTATION    OF.  —  PROGRESS.  —  REVIVAL 

OF    BENEVOLENCE  IN  APRIL,    1861.  INTEREST  OF-PARENTS    FOR 

THE  CONVERSION  OF  THEIR  CHILDREN. —  PEACE  IN  FAMILIES. 
REFORMED  MARRIAGES.  ORDINATIONS. COMMUNION  SEA- 
SONS.   MISS    RICE    AND    MISS    BEACH. CONCLUSION     ....    280 


fht  0f  glhisinfurns. 


I.  PLAIN    AND    LAKE    OF    OROOMIAH,    AS    SEEN. FROM    ROOF    OF 

SEMINARY    AT    SEIR FRONTISPIECE. 

II.  MAP    OF    THE    NESTORIAN    COUNTRY. 

III.  FEMALE    SEMINARY 37 

IV.  TENTS 73 

V.       MISSIONARY    SCENE    IN    TERGAWER 92 

VI.       COURT    YARD    OF    SEMINARY 131 

VII.       SEIR    GATE,    OROOMIAH 154 

VIII.       TIARY    GIRL 199 


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WOMAN  AND  HER  SAVIOUK. 


CHAPTER    I. 

WOMAN   WITHOUT   THE   GOSPEL. 

POLITICAL  CONDITION.  —  NESTORIAN  HOUSES. VERMIN.  —  SICKNESS. 

POSITION    AND    ESTIMATION    OF  "WOMAN.  —  NO    READERS  AMONG  THEM. 

UNLOVELY  SPIRIT. SINS  OF  THE  TONGUE. PROFANITY. LYING. 

STEALING. STORY     ABOUT     PINS. IMPURITY. MOSLEM     INTER- 
FERENCE   WFTH    SEMINARY. 

We  love  to  wander  over  a  well-kept  estate.  Its  green 
meadows  and  fruitful  fields  delight  the  eye.  Its  ripening 
harvests  make  us  feel  as  if  we  too  were  wealthy.  But 
while  the  view  of  what  lies  before  us  is  so  pleasant,  our 
joy  is  greater  if  we  can  remember  when  it  was  all  a 
wilderness,  and  contrast  its  present  beauty  with  the  rough- 
ness of  its  former  state. 

So,  in  viewing  the  wonders  of  divine  grace,  we  need  to 
see  its  results  in  connection  with  what  has  been.  We  can 
appreciate  the  loveliness  of  the  child  of  God  only  as  we 
compare  him  with  the  child  of  wrath  he  was  before.  Paul 
not  only  recounts  the  great  things  which  God  had  done 
for  the  early  disciples,  but  bids  them  remember  that  they 
were  once  without  Christ ;  and  before  he  tells  them  that 
God  had  made  them  "sit  together  in  heavenly  places  in 
2  (13) 


14  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

Christ  Jesus,"  he  reminds  them,  that  they  had  "walked 
according  to  the  spirit  that  now  worketh  in  the  children 
of  disobedience." 

In  seeking,  then,  to  set  forth  the  great  things  which  God 
has  done  for  woman  in  Persia,  let  us  first  look  on  her  as 
his  gospel  found  her,  that  we  may  better  appreciate  the 
grace  which  wrought  the  change. 

We  can  understand  the  condition  of  woman  in  that 
empire  only  as  we  bear  in  mind  that  its  government  is 
despotic,  and  that  no  constitutional  safeguards  shield  the 
subjects  of  a  thoroughly  selfish  and  profligate  nobility. 
The  Nestorians,  too,  are  marked  out  alike  by  religion  and 
nationality  as  victims  of  oppression.  However  great  their 
wrongs,  they  can  hope  for  little  redress,  for  a  distant  court 
shares  in  the  plunder  taken  from  them,  and  believes  its  own 
officials  rather  than  the  despised  rayahs,  whom  they  oppress. 
Even  when  foreign  intervention  procures  some  edict  in  their 
favor,  these  same  officials,  in  distant  Oroomiah,  are  at  no  loss 
to  evade  its  demands. 

The  Nestorian  is  not  allowed  a  place  in  the  bazaar;1  he 
cannot  engage  in  commerce.  And  in  the  mechanic  arts, 
he  cannot  aspire  higher  than  the  position  of  a  mason  or 
carpenter ;  which,  of  course,  is  not  to  be  compared  to  the 
standing  of  the  same  trades  among  us.  When  our  mission- 
aries went  to  Oroomiah,  a  decent  garment  on  a  Nesto- 
rian  was  safe  only  as  it  had  an  outer  covering  of  rags  to 
hide  it. 

In  their  language,  as  in  Arabic,  the  missionaries  found 
no  word  for  home ;  and  there  was  no  need  of  it,  for  the 
thing  itself  was  wanting.  The  house  consisted  of  one 
large  room,  and  was  generally  occupied  by  several  gen- 

1  The  bazaar  is,  literally,  the  market,  but  denotes  the  business  part 
of  a  city. 


WOMAN   WITHOUT   THE   GOSPEL.  15 

erations.  In  that  one  room  all  the  work  of  the  family 
was  performed.  There  they  ate,  and  there  they  slept. 
The  beds  consisted  of  three  articles  —  a  thick  comfortable 
filled  with  wool  or  cotton  beneath,  a  pillow,  and  one  heavy 
quilt  for  covering.  On  rising,  they  "  took  up  their  beds,"  and 
piled  them  on  a  wooden  frame,  and  spread  them  down 
again  at  night.  The  room  was  lighted  by  an  opening  in 
the  roof,  which  also  served  for  a  chimney;  though,  of 
course,  in  a  very  imperfect  manner,  as  the  inside  of  every 
dwelling  that  has  stood  for  any  length  of  time  bears  wit- 
ness. The  upper  part  of  the  walls  and  the  under  surface 
of  the  roof — we  can  hardly  call  it  ceiling — fairly  glitter, 
as  though  they  had  been  painted  black  and  varnished,  and 
every  article  of  clothing,  book,  or  household  utensil,  is  sat- 
urated with  the  smell  of  creosote.  The  floor,  like  the 
walls,  is  of  earth,  covered  in  part  with  coarse  straw  mats 
and  pieces  of  carpeting ;  and  the  flat  roof,  of  the  same  ma- 
terial, rests  on  a  layer  of  sticks,  supported  by  large  beams  ; 
the  mass  above,  however,  often  sifts  through,  and  some- 
times during  a  heavy  rain  assumes  the  form  of  a  shower  of 
mud.  Bad  as  all  this  may  seem,  the  houses  are  still  Avorse 
in  the  mountain  districts,  such  as  Gawar.  There  they  are 
half  under  ground,  made  of  cobble  stones  laid  up  against 
the  slanting  sides  of  the  excavation,  and  covered  by  a 
conical  roof  with  a  hole  in  the  centre.  They  contain,  be- 
sides the  family,  all  the  implements  of  husbandry,  the  cattle, 
and  the  flocks.  These  last  occupy  "  the  sides  of  the  house  " 
(1  Sam.  xxiv.  3),  and  stand  facing  the  "decana,"  or  raised 
place  in  the  centre,  which  is  devoted  to  the  family.  As 
wood  is  scarce  in  the  mountains,  and  the  climate  severe,  the 
animal  heat  of  the  cattle  is  a  substitute  for  fuel,  except  as 
sun-baked  cakes  of  manure  are  used  once  a  day  for  cook- 
ing, as  is  the  practice  also  on  the  plain.     In  such  houses 


16  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

the  buffaloes  sometimes  break  loose  and  fight  furiously, 
and  instances  are  not  rare  when  they  knock  down  the 
posts  on  which  the  roof  rests,  and  thus  bury  all  in  one 
common  ruin. 

The  influence  of  such  family  arrangements,  even  in  the 
more  favored  villages  of  the  plain,  on  manners  and  morality, 
need  not  be  told.  It  is  equally  evident  that  in  such  cir- 
cumstances personal  tidiness  is  impossible,  though  few  in 
our  favored  land  have  any  idea  of  the  extent  of  such  un- 
tidiness. If  the  truth  must  be  told,  vermin  abound  in 
most  of  these  houses;  the  inmates  are  covered  not  only 
with  fleas,  but  from  head  to  foot  they  are  infested  with  the 
third  plague  of  Egypt.  (Ex.  viii.  16-19).  This  last  is  a  con- 
stant annoyance  in  many  parts  of  Turkey  as  well  as  Pei-sia. 
If  one  lodges  in  the  native  houses,  there  is  no  refuge  from 
them,  and  only  an  entire  change  of  clothing  affords  relief 
when  he  returns  to  his  own  home ;  even  there  the  divans 
have  to  be  sedulously  examined  after  the  departure  of 
visitors,  that  the  plague  do  not  spread.  The  writer  has 
known  daughters  of  New  England,  ready  for  almost  any 
self-denial,  burst  into  "tears  when  first  brought  into  contact 
with  this. 

At  first,  the  teachers  of  the  Female  Seminary  in  Oroo- 
miah  had  to  cleanse  their  pupils  very  thoroughly,  and  were 
glad  thus  to  purify  the  outside,  while  beseeching  Christ  to 
cleanse  the  heart.  Each  one,  on  her  first  arrival,  had  to  be 
separately  cared  for,  lest  the  enemy  should  recover  ground 
from  which  he  had  already  been  driven  with  much  labor. 
Missionary  publications  do  not  usually  tell  of  such  trials, 
but  those  who  drew  the  lambs  from  the  deep  pit,  loved 
them  all  the  more  tenderly  for  having  gone  down  into  it 
themselves,  that  thence  they  might  bring  them  to  Jesus. 
Such  trials  are  less  common  now,  for  it  is  generally  under- 


WOMAN    WITHOUT   THE    GOSPEL.  17 

stood  that  a  degree  of  personal  cleanliness  is  an  indispen- 
sable requisite  for  admission  to  the  Seminary ;  but  such  a 
demand,  at  that  time,  would  have  rendered  the  commence- 
ment of  the  school  impossible. 

The  pupils  became  much  improved  in  personal  appear- 
ance, and  some  of  their  simple-hearted  mothers  really 
thought  their  children  had  gi-own  very  pretty  under  their 
teachers'  care.  So,  as  many  of  them  were  strangers  to  the 
cleansing  properties  of  water,  they  would  ask  again  and 
again,  "How  do  you  make  them  so  white  ?" 

But  if  %\ich  houses  were  comfortless  abodes  for  those  in 
health,  what  were  they  for  the  sick  ?  Think  of  one  in  a 
burning  fever,  perhaps  delirious,  lying  in  such  a  crowd.  In 
winter,  there  they  must  remain,  for  there  is  no  other  place, 
and  in  summer,  they  are  often  laid  under  a  tree  in  the  day 
time,  and  carried  up  to  the  flat  roof,  with  the  rest  of  the 
family,  at  night. 

Dr.  Perkins,  in  the  early  part  of  his  missionary  life,  tells 
us  that  in  a  village  the  family  room  was  given  up  to  him 
for  the  night,  and  in  the  morning  he  found  a  little  son  had 
been  born  in  the  stable.  He  supposed  that  he  had  been 
the  unwitting  cause  of  such  an  event  occurring  there ;  but 
longer  acquaintance  with  the  people  shows  that  woman 
almost  invariably  resorts  to  that  place  in  her  hour  of 
sorrow,  and  there  she  often  dies.  The  number  who  meet 
death  in  this  form  is  very  large. 

In  Persia,  as  in  other  unevangelized  countries,  women 
spend  their  days  in  out-door  labor.  They  weed  the  cotton, 
and  assist  in  pruning  the  vines  and  gathering  the  grapes. 
They  go  forth  in  the  morning,  bearing  not  only  their  imple- 
ments of  husbandry,  but  also  their  babes  in  the  cradle;  and 
returning  in  the  evening,  they  prepare  their  husband's  sup- 
per, and  set  it  before  him,  but  never  think  of  eating  them- 
2* 


18  WOMAN   AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 

selves  till  after  he  is  done.  One  of  the  early  objections  the 
Nestorians  made  to  the  Female  Seminary  was,  that  it 
would  disqualify  their  daughters  for  their  accustomed  toil. 
In  after  years,  woman  might  be  seen  carrying  her  spelling- 
book  to  the  field,  along  with  her  Persian  hoe,  little  dream- 
ing that  she  was  thus  taking  the  first  step  towards  the 
substitution  of  the  new  implement  for  the  old. 

Nestorian  parents  used  to  consider  the  birth  of  a  daugh- 
ter a  great  calamity.  When  asked  the  number  of  their 
children,  they  would  count  up  their  sons,  and  make  no 
mention  of  their  daughters.  The  birth  of  a  scfh  was  an 
occasion  for  great  joy  and  giving  of  gifts.  Neighbors 
hastened  to  congratulate  the  happy  father,  but  days  might 
elapse  before  the  neighborhood  knew  of  the  birth  of  a 
daughter.  It  was  deemed  highly  improper  to  inquire  after 
the  health  of  a  wife,  and  the  nearest  approach  to  it  was  to 
ask  after  the  welfare  of  the  house  or  household.  Formerly, 
a  man  never  called  his  wife  by  name,  but  in  speaking  of 
her  would  say,  "the  mother  of  so  and  so,"  giving  the  name 
of  her  child ;  or,  "  the  daughter  of  so  and  so,"  giving  the 
name  of  her  father;  or,  simply  "that  woman"  did  this  or 
that.  Nor  did  the  wife  presume  to  call  her  husband's 
name,  or  to  address  him  in  the  presence  of  his  parents, 
who,  it  will  be  borne  in  mind,  lived  in  the  same  apartment. 
They  were  married  very  young,  often  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen, and  without  any  consultation  of  their  own  preference, 
either  as  to  time  or  person. 

There  was  hardly  a  man  among  the  Nestorians  who  did 
not  beat  his  wife.  The  women  expected  to  be  beaten,  and 
took  it  as  a  matter  of  course.  As  the  wife  lived  with  the 
husband's  father,  it  was  not  uncommon  for  him  to  beat 
both  son  and  daughter-in-law.  "When  the  men  wished  to 
talk  together  of  any  thing  important,  they  usually  sent  the 


WOMAN   WITHOUT   THE   GOSPEL.  19 

women  out  of  doors  or  to  the  stable,  as  unable  to  under- 
stand, or  unfit  to  be  trusted.  In  some  cases,  this  might  be 
a  necessary  precaution ;  for  the  absence  of  true  affection, 
and  the  frequency  of  domestic  broils,  rendered  the  wife  an 
unsafe  depositary  of  any  important  family  affair.  The 
same  causes  often  led  the  wife  to  appropriate  to  her  own 
foolish  gratification  any  money  of  her  husband  she  could 
lay  hands  on,  regardless  of  family  necessities.  Women 
whose  tastes  led  them  to  load  themselves  with  beads, 
silver,  baser  metal,  and  rude  trinkets,  would  not  be  likely 
to  expend  money  very  judiciously. 

In  1835,  the  only  Nestorian  woman  that  knew  how  to 
read  was  Heleneh,  the  sister  of  Mar  Shimon ;  and  when 
others  were  asked  if  they  would  not  like  to  learn,  with  a 
significant  shrug  they  would  reply,  "  I  am  a  woman." 
They  had  themselves  no  more  desire  to  learn  than  the 
men  had  to  have  them  taught.  Indeed,  the  very  idea  of 
a  woman  reading  was  regarded  as  an  infringement  of 
female  modesty  and  propriety. 

It  is  a  little  curious,  and  shows  how  we  adapt  ourselves 
to  our  situation,  that  the  women  Avere  as  unwilling  to  re- 
ceive attention  from  their  husbands  as  they  were  to  render 
it.  Several  years  after  the  arrival  of  Miss  Fiske  in  Oroo- 
miah,  the  wife  of  one  of  her  assistants  visited  the  Seminary, 
and  on  leaving  to  return  to  her  village,  the  teacher,  in  the 
kindness  of  her  heart,  proposed  to  the  husband  to  go  and 
assist  her  to  carry  the  child.  She  seemed  as  if  she  had 
been  insulted  in  being  thought  unable  to  carry  it,  and  sent 
her  husband  back  from  the  door  in  any  thing  but  a  gra- 
cious mood,  leaving  the  good  teacher  half  bewildered  and 
half  amused  at  this  reception  of  her  intended  kindness. 

Indeed,  until  some  of  them  were  converted,  all  that  was 
lovely  and  of  good  report  in  woman  was  entirely  wanting. 


20  WOMAN   AND    HER  SAVIOUR. 

They  were  trodden  down,  but  at  the  same  time  exceed- 
ingly defiant  and  imperious.  If  they  were  not  the  "  head," 
it  was  not  because  they  did  not  "  strive  for  the  mastery." 
They  seemed  to  have  no  idea  of  self-control ;  their  bursts 
of  passion  were  awful.  The  number  of  women  who  rev- 
erenced their  husbands  was  as  small  as  the  list  of  husbands 
who  did  not  beat  their  wives.  Says  Miss  Fiske,  in  writing 
to  a  friend,  "  I  felt  pity  for  my  poor  sisters  before  going 
among  them,  but  anguish  when,  from  actual  contact  with 
them,  I  realized  how  very  low  they  were.  I  did  not  want 
to  leave  them,  but  I  did  ask,  Can  the  image  of  Christ  ever 
be  reflected  from  such  hearts  ?  They  would  come  and  tell 
me  their  troubles,  and  fall  down  at  my  feet,  begging  me  to 
deliver  them  from  their  husbands.  They  would  say,  '  You 
are  sent  by  our  holy  mother,  Mary,  to  help  us;'  and  do  not 
think  me  hard-hearted  when  I  tell  you  that  I  often  said  to 
them,  'Loose  your  hold  of  my  feet;  I  did  not  come  to 
deliver  you  from  your  husbands,  but  to  show  you  how  to 
be  so  good  that  you  can  be  happy  with  them.'  Weeping, 
they  would  say,  '  Have  mercy  on  us ;  if  not,  we  must  kill 
ourselves.'  I  had  no  fear  of  their  doing  that,  so  I  would 
seat  them  at  my  side,  and  tell  them  of  my  own  dear  father, 
—  how  good  he  was;  but  he  was  always  obeyed.  They 
would  say,  '  We  could  obey  a  good  man.'  '  But  I  am  very 
sure  you  would  not  have  been  willing  to  obey  my  father.' 

"  It  is  one  thing  to  pray  for  our  degraded  sisters  while  in 
America,  but  quite  another  to  raise  them  from  their  low 
estate.  When  I  saw  their  true  character,  I  found  that  I 
needed  a  pui-er,  holier  love  for  them  than  I  had  ever  pos- 
sessed. It  was  good  for  me  to  see  that  I  could  do  nothing, 
and  it  was  comforting  to  think  that  Jesus  had  talked  with 
just  such  females  as  composed  the  mass  around  me,  and 
that  afterwards  many  believed  because  of  one  such  woman." 


WOMAN   WITHOUT   THE   GOSPEL.  21 

Sometimes  the  revilings  of  the  women  were  almost 
equalled  by  similar  talk  among  the  men,  as  in  a  village 
of  Gawar,  where  they  said,  "  We  would  not  receive  a  priest 
or  deacon  here  who  could  not  swear  well,  and  lie  too."  In 
the  same  village,  a  young  man  spoke  favorably  of  Mr. 
Coan's  preaching  in  Jeloo.  Instantly  a  woman  called  out, 
"  And  have  you  heard  those  deceivers  preach  ?  "  "  Yes," 
was  the  reply,  "  both  last  year  and  this,  and  hope  I  shall 
again."  Hearing  this,  her  eyes  flashed,  and  drawing  her 
brawny  arms  into  the  form  of  a  dagger,  with  a  vengeful 
thrust  of  her  imaginary  weapon,  she  cried,  "  The  blood  of 
thy  father  smite  thee,  thou  Satan ! "  and  dreadful  was  the 
volley  of  oaths  and  curses  that  followed.  Yet  she  was 
only  a  fair  specimen  of  the  village. 

We  of  the  calmer  West  do  not  know  what  it  is  to  have 
a  mob  of  such  women  come  forth  in  their  wrath.  In  one 
town  was  a  virago,  who  often,  single-handed,  faced  down 
and  drove  off  Moslem  tax-gatherers  when  the  men  fled  in 
terror.  ~No  one  who  has  ever  heard  the  stinging  shrillness 
of  their  tongues,  or  looked  on  their  frenzied  gestures,  can 
ever  forget  them,  or  wonder  why  the  ancients  painted  the 
Furies  in  the  form  of  women.  Words  cannot  portray  the 
excitement  of  such  a  scene.  The  hair  of  the  frantic  actors 
is  streaming  in  the  wind ;  stones  and  clods  seem  only  em- 
bodiments of  the  unearthly  yells  and  shrieks  that  fill  the 
air;  and  yet  it  was  such  beings  that  grace  made  to  be 
"  last  at  the  cross  and  first  at  the  sepulchre." 

The  East  is  notorious  for  profanity,  and  among  the  N~es- 
torians  women  were  as  profane  as  men.  The  pupils  in  the 
Seminary  at  first  used  to  swear,  and  use  the  vilest  language 
on  the  slightest  provocation.  Poor,  blind  Martha,  on  her 
death  bed,  in  her  own  father's  house,  was  constantly  cursed 
and  reviled.     She  was  obliged  sometimes  to  cover  her  head 


22  WOMAN   AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 

with  the  quilt,  and  stop  her  ears,  to  secure  an  opportunity 
to  pray  for  her  profane  and  abusive  brother ;  and  though, 
in  such  circumstances,  she  died  before  her  prayers  were 
answered,  yet  they  were  heard,  for  he  afterwards  learned 
to  serve  his  sister's  God.  "Do  you  think  people  will  be- 
lieve me,"  said  a  pupil  to  her  teacher,  who  was  reproving 
her  for  profanity,  "if  I  do  not  repeat  the  name  of  God  very 
often?" 

Lying  was  almost  as  common  as  profanity,  and  stealing 
quite  as  prevalent  as  either.  It  was  a  frequent  remark, 
"  We  all  lie  here ;  do  you  think  we  could  succeed  in  busi- 
ness without  it  ?  " 

In  the  early  days  of  the  Seminary,  nothing  was  safe  ex- 
cept under  lock  and  key.  Sometimes  there  seemed  to  be  a 
dawn  of  improvement,  and  next,  all  the  buttons  would  be 
missing  from  the  week's  washing,  and  the  teacher  was 
pretty  sure  to  find  that  her  own  pupils  were  the  thieves. 
Miss  Rice  tells  of  one,  amply  supplied  with  every  thing  by 
her  parents,  yet  noted  for  her  thefts.  Indeed,  sons  and 
daughters  were  alike  trained  to  such  practices.  In  1843, 
Miss  Fiske  could  not  keep  a  pin  in  her  pin-cushion  ;  little 
fingers  took  them  as  often  as  she  turned  away,  and  lest  she 
should  tempt  them  to  lie,  she  avoided  questioning  them, 
unless  her  own  eye  had  seen  the  theft.  No  wonder  she 
wrote,  "  I  feel  very  weak,  and  were  it  not  that  Christ  has 
loved  these  souls,  I  should  be  discouraged;  but  he  has 
loved  them,  and  he  loves  them  still."  If  the  pins  were 
found  with  the  pupils,  the  answer  was  l'eady  —  "  We 
found  them,"  or,  "  You  gave  them  to  us ; "  and  nothing 
could  be  proved.  But  one  summer  evening,  just  before 
the  pupils  were  to  pass  through  her  room  to  their  beds  on 
the  flat  roof,  knowing  that  none  of  that  color  could  be 
obtained  elsewhere,  the  teacher  put  six  black  pins  in  her 


WOMAN   WITHOUT  THE   GOSPEL.  23 

cushion,  and  stepped  out  till  they  had  passed.  As  soon  as 
they  were  gone,  she  found  the  pins  gone  too,  and  at  once 
called  them  back.  She  told  them  of  her  loss,  but  none 
knew  any  thing  about  it.  She  showed  them  that  no  one 
else  had  been  there,  and  therefore  they  must  know.  Six 
pairs  of  little  hands  were  lifted  up,  as  they  said,  "  God 
knows  we  have  not  got  them ; "  but  this  only  called  forth 
the  reply,  "  I  think  that  God  knows  you  have  got  them," 
and  she  searched  each  one  carefully,  without  finding  them. 
She  then  proposed  to  kneel  down  where  they  stood,  and  ask 
God  to  show  where  they  were,  adding,  "  He  may  not  see 
it  best  to  show  me  now,  but  he  will  do  it  some  time."  She 
laid  the  matter  before  the  Lord,  and,  just  as  they  rose  from 
their  knees,  remembered  that  she  had  not  examined  their 
cloth  caps.  She  now  pi'oposed  to  examine  them,  and  one 
pair  of  hands  went  right  up.  to  her  cap.  Of  course  she 
was  searched  first,  and  there  were  the  six  pins,  so  nicely 
concealed  in  its  folds  that  nothing  was  visible  but  their 
heads.  This  incident  did  much  good.  The  pupils  looked 
on  the  discovery  as  an  answer  to  prayer,  and  so  did  their 
teacher.  They  began  to  be  afraid  to  steal  when  God  so 
exposed  their  thefts,  and  she  was  thankful  for  an  answer  so 
immediate.     The  offender  is  now  a  pious,  useful  woman. 

Yet  some  were  so  accustomed  to  falsehood,  that,  even 
after  conversion,  it  cost  a  struggle  to  be  entirely  truthful, 
and  missionaries  could  see,  as  Christians  in  our  own  land 
cannot  see,  why  an  apostle  should  write  to  the  regenerate, 
"  Lie  not  one  to  another."  The  teacher  labored  to  impress 
her  charge  with  the  sinfulness  of  such  conduct,  but  in  the 
revival  of  1846,  they  seemed  to  learn  more  in  one  hour 
than  she  had  taught  them  in  the  two  years  preceding. 
Yet  that  faithful  instruction  was  not  lost.  It  was  the  fuel 
which  the  Spirit  of  God  kindled  into  a  flame.     The  sower 


24  WOMAN    AND    HER    SAVIOUR. 

has  not  labored  in  vain  because  the  seed  lies  for  days  buried 
in  the  soil. 

In  that  revival,  the  awakened  hastened  to  restore  what 
they  had  stolen.  One  came  to  Miss  Fiske  in  great  distress, 
saying,  "  Do  you  remember  the  day,  two  years  ago,  when 
Sawdee's  new  shoes  were  taken  from  the  door?"  —  They 
leave  oif  their  shoes  on  entering  a  house.  —  "  Yes,  I  recol- 
lect it."  "  You  thought  a  Moslem  woman  stole  them,  but " 
—  and  here  her  feelings  overcame  her  —  "I  took  them,  for 
I  was  angry  with  her,  and  threw  them  into  a  well.  What 
shall  I  do  ?  I  know  Christ  will  not  receive  me  till  I  have 
confessed  it  to  her.  Can  I  go  and  confess  it  to-night,  and 
pray  with  her,  and  then  may  I  go  and  work  for  money  to 
replace  them?"  She  paid  for  the  shoes,  and  became  a 
bright  light  in  her  dark  home.  There  were  many  such 
cases,  and  from  that  time  the  teachers  had  little  trouble 
from  theft.  New  pupils  would  sometimes  steal,  but  the 
older  ones  were  ready  to  detect  them,  and  show  them  a 
more  excellent  way.  Miss  Fiske  says  of  this,  "The  fre- 
quent visits  of  the  Holy  Spirit  have  removed  an  evil  which 
mocked  my  efforts.  God  made  me  feel  my  utter  helpless- 
ness, and  then  he  did  the  work."  That  same  term  there 
was  but  one  case  of  theft  in  the  Male  Seminary,  though 
formerly  it  was  not  infrequent  there. 

In  reference  to  transgressions  of  the  seventh  command- 
ment, much  detail  is  not  expedient.  It  is  sufficient  to  say, 
that  the  first  impressions  of  earlier  missionaries  respecting 
the  purity  of  Nestorian  women  were  not  sustained  by  sub- 
sequent acquaintance.  The  farther  they  went  beneath  the 
surface  of  things,  the  more  they  found  of  corruption.  One 
might  go  to  Persia  supposing  that  he  knew  a  good  deal  of 
the  degradation  of  the  people,  and  yet  really  know  very 
little  of  the  pit  into  which  he  was  descending. 


WOMAN   WITHOUT   THE   GOSPEL.  25 

A  seminary  gathering  together  such  a  company  of  young 
females,  was  a  new  thing  in  Persia,  and  it  will  readily  be 
conceived  that  amid  a  Mohammedan  community  it  was  an 
object  of  peculiar  solicitude  to  its  guardians.  Many  a 
Moslem  eye  was  on  those  girls,  as  the  results  of  a  religious 
education  appeared  in  their  manners,  their  dress,  and  per- 
sonal beauty.  In  one  instance,  an  officer  of  government 
attenrpted  to  take  one  of  them  to  his  harem,  but  God 
thwarted  his  purpose  through  the  interference  of  the 
English  consul.  Similar  dangers  threatened  from  other 
sources,  and  eternity  alone  will  reveal  the  burden  of  care 
and  watchfulness  they  involved.  If  only  one  pupil  had 
been  led  astray,  what  a  hopeless  loss  of  confidence  would 
have  followed  among  the  people!  In  the  early  years  of  the 
institution,  when  parents  could  hardly  be  persuaded  to 
trust  their  daughters  out  of  their  sight  for  a  single  night, 
it  might  have  broken  up  the  whole  enterprise ;  but  in  this 
matter,  also,  God  showed  himself  the  hearer  of  prayer,  and 
not  one  danger  of  the  kind  was  ever  allowed  to  be  more 
than  an  occasion  for  renewed  intercession,  and  more  con- 
fiding dependence  on  his  gracious  care.  Sometimes,  in 
vacation,  it  seemed  strange  to  its  guardians  that  they  had 
no  longer  a  fold  to  protect,  and  could  retire  to  rest  free 
from  that  anxious  solicitude  that  sometimes  drove  sleep 
from  their  eyes. 

It  is  not  in  the  beginning  of  missionary  life  that  all  these 
tilings  are  understood :  they  are  learned  gradually.  This 
is  wisely  ordered,  that  the  missionary  be  not  discouraged 
at  the  outset.  Strength  is  given  each  day  to  meet  new 
trials  as  they  come,  and  it  would  not  be  leaving  a  truthful 
impression  on  the  reader,  if,  at  the  close  of  this  description 
of  what  has  been,  it  should  not  be  recorded,  to  the  praise 
of  divine  grace,  that  a  great  change  has  taken  place. 
3 


26  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

There  are  many  to-day  to  whom  the  missionary  may  say, 
"  Such  were  some  of  you ;  but  ye  are  washed,  but  ye  are 
sanctified,  but  ye  are  justified  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus, 
and  by  the  Spirit  of  our  God."  Not  only  do  some  who 
stole  steal  no  more,  but  many  young  husbands  now  provide 
separate  apartments  for  the  bride  whom  they  bring  home, 
and  they  need  all  that  the  word  "home"  expresses  to  de- 
scribe their  mutual  joy.  The  hour  of  suffering  is  antici- 
pated by  a  considerate  affection,  and  that  affection  is  so 
reciprocated  that  many  hearts  safely  trust  in  the  daughters 
of  the  Female  Seminary  of  Oroomiah. 

It  is  not  merely  education  that  has  wrought  this  change, 
but  a  Bible  education.  Paul  cared  for  just  such  converts, 
and  left  divine  teachings  for  the  use  of  those  who  should 
come  after  him  in  the  same  work.  As  a  young  wife  said  to 
her  teacher  one  day,  after  she  had  been  talking  with  her 
about  her  new  duties,  "I  thank  you;  you  are  right.  I  am 
glad  that  you  haA-e  told  me  what  Paul  says,  and  I  think 
that  God  has  told  you  the  same  thing."  Many  a  graduate 
might  say,  with  another,  "I  thank  you  for  your  instructions, 
and  as  I  look  on  the  trials  of  ungodly  families,  every  drop 
of  my  blood  thanks  you." 


CHAPTER    II. 

MARBEESHOO. 

VISIT     THERE. NATIVE     ACCOMMODATIONS. HOSPITALITY    OF     SENUM. 

—  MOHAMMEDAN    WOMEN. 

The  following  account  of  Miss  Fiske's  visit  to  Marbee- 
shoo,  in  November,  1847,  presents  a  vivid  picture  of  things 
as  they  were,  and  the  Christian  thoughtfulness  of  one  who 
had  learned  a  more  excellent  way :  — 

"As  we  sat  at  dinner  a  few  days  since,  Mr.  Stocking  pro- 
posed that  I  spend  the  Sabbath  with  him  at  Marbeeshoo. 
I  said  at  once,  'I  cannot  leave  my  school.'  But  he  forth- 
with called  Sanum,  Sarah,  and  Moressa,  my  oldest  girls, 
and  asked  them  if  they  did  not  love  souls  in  Marbeeshoo 
well  enough  to  take  good  care  of  school,  and  let  me  be 
absent  till  Tuesday.  They  were  delighted  to  think  of  my 
going  where  no  missionary  lady  had  ever  been,  and  said, 
'  We  will  do  all  we  can  for  the  girls,  and  we  will  pray  for 
you,  if  you  will  only  go  and  try  to  do  those  poor  women 
good.'  It  was  hardly  two  o'clock  before  we  were  on 
horseback.  Marbeeshoo  is  about  fifty  miles  from  us,  and 
in  Turkey.  Two  years  ago  it  was  said  'no  lady  should 
try  to  go  there,'  but  brother  Stocking  thought  not  so  now ; 
and  I  was  willing  to  follow  where  he  led,  especially  as  a 
former  pupil  had  recently  settled  there.  We  must  be  out 
over  night,  but  we  thought  best  not  to  spend  it  in  a  tent, 
on  account  of  the  cold.     Near  sunset  we  came  to  Mawana, 

(27) 


28  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

a  village  of  mud  huts.  We  went  to  the  house  of  the  head 
man,  who  joyfully  welcomed  us  to  his  house.  It  consisted 
of  a  single  low  room,  inhabited  by  at  least  a  score  of  men, 
women,  and  children.  They  came  in  one  by  one,  but 
already  the  hens  had  found  their  resting  place,  evidently 
no  strangers  there.  Several  lambs  had  been  brought  into 
their  corner,  and  three  or  four  calves,  each  had  his  couch  of 
grass.  Our  horses  had  been  arranged  for  the  night  on  the 
other  side  of  a  partition  wall,  some  three  feet  high.  When 
all  were  within,  the  coarse  bread  and  sour  milk  were 
brought  out  for  supper.  Then  Mr.  Stocking  read  from  the 
Bible,  and  talked,  and  prayed  with  the  numerous  family, 
and  the  women  sat  around  me,  while  I  tried  to  do  them 
good,  till  about  ten  o'clock.  At  that  time,  the  mother  of 
the  family  rose,  saying,  '  Now  we  will  settle  it.'  I  listened 
to  hear  the  settlement  of  some  family  quarrel,  but  to  my 
surprise  her  meaning  was,  'We  will  settle  where  to  lie 
down  for  the  night ; '  and  as  I  looked  over  the  room  I 
thought,  surely  some  little  skill  in  settling  is  needed,  if  we 
are  all  to  sleep  here.  But  soon  she  took  out  three  of  the 
children  to  an  empty  manger,  where  she  put  new  hay,  and 
quickly  settled  them  ;  they  were  covered  with  an  old  rug, 
and  at  once  fell  fast  asleep.  She  then  returned,  saying, 
'Now  there  is  room  for  our  guests,'  and  brought  a  piece 
of  cotton  cloth,  which  she  said  was  all  for  me.  In  a  short 
time,  one  and  another  was  fost  asleep.  They  lay  on  mats, 
without  either  bed  or  pillow,  and  the  divers  breathing  or 
snoring  of  men,  and  calves,  and  lambs  was  soon  heard,  all 
mingled  together. 

"  I  found  myself  sitting  alone  with  the  old  lady,  and  so, 
putting  my  carpet  bag  under  my  head,  and  drawing  my 
shawl  about  me,  I  lay  down  too.  This  was  a  signal  for 
extinguishing  the  light ;  but  before  that,  I  had  marked  a 


MARBEESHOO.  29 

road,  where  I  thought  I  might  possibly  pass  out  between 
the  sleepers  should  I  need  fresh  air.  There  was  no  sleep 
for  me ;  and  the  swarms  of  fleas  made  me  so  uncomfortable, 
that  before  midnight  I  found  my  way  out,  and  remained  as 
long  as  the  cold  air  of  that  November  night  allowed,  and 
so  passed  out  and  in  several  times  during  the  night.  I 
watched  long  for  the  morning,  and  at  length  it  came,  and 
the  sleepers,  one  by  one,  arose.  They  all  hoped  I  had 
slept  well,  and  I  could  not  tell  them  I  had  not,  for  they 
had  given  me  the  best  they  had,  and  told  me  again  and 
again  how  glad  they  were  that  I  had  come,  and  hoped 
their  house  would  always  be  mine  when  I  came  that  way. 
There  was  a  proposal  for  breakfast,  but  the  morning  was  so 
fine  that  I  suggested  to  Mr.  Stocking  that  a  carpet  bag 
sometimes  furnished  a  very  good  breakfast. 

"We  did  enjoy  that  ride  very  much  after  a  sleepless 
night.  The  road  was  often  only  a  narrow  path  on  the  edge 
of  a  precipice,  and  such  as  I  had  never  passed  over  before ; 
but  I  thanked  my  God  at  every  step  for  the  pure,  fresh  air  of 
those  mountains.  As  we  approached  the  village,  hid  away 
among  the  cliffs,  and  in  such  a  narrow  spot  that  houses 
were  placed  one  above  another  on  the  terraced  hill-side, 
one  of  our  attendants  insisted  on  riding  forward,  and  we 
were  not  greatly  surprised  to  find  a  crowd  ready  to  wel- 
come us.  One  and  another  cried  out,  '  Senum  wants  you 
to  go  to  Zechariah's.'  So  to  Zechariah's  we  went,  and 
there  was  my  pupil,  waiting  with  open  arms  to  receive  me. 
She  took  me  from  my  horse,  exclaiming,  '  Is  it  true  that 
you  have  come  ?  I  have  heard  where  you  staid  last  night, 
and  I  know  you  did  not  sleep  at  all.  Come  right  into  my 
room ;  there  are  no  fleas  here  ;  I  have  a  bed  that  is  clean, 
that  I  keep  for  the  missionaries.  I  will  spread  it  for  you, 
and  you  shall  sleep  before  any  body  comes  to  see  you.' 
3* 


30  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

The  bed  was  spread ;  she  gave  me  milk  to  drink  (Judg. 
iv.  19),  and  then  said,  '  I  will  guard  the  door  so  no 
one  shall  disturb  you,  and  I  will  wake  you  for  dinner.' 
I  was  soon  asleep,  and  slept  two  long  hours  before  she 
woke  me. 

"When  she  did,  she  came  with  her  tray  in  her  hand, 
where  was  the  freshly  baked  bread,  the  nicely  cooked  little 
fish,  which,  she  said,  '  my  husband  caught  expressly  for 
you  and  Mr.  Stocking,'  honey  from  their  own  hives,  milk 
from  their  flock,  and  other  simple  refreshments.  All  was 
neatly  prepai*ed,  and  we  were  so  thankful  for  the  dear  child's 
attentions!  When  dinner  was  over,  she  said,  'Now  I  want 
you  to  see  the  women ;  but  they  must  not  come  here,  for 
they  will  leave  fleas,  and  you  will  not  be  able  to  sleep  to- 
night. There  is  another  large  room  the  other  side,  and  we 
will  have  meeting  there  this  afternoon,' 

"About  three  o'clock  I  met  there  more  than  one  hun- 
dred poor  women,  who  of  course  must  ask  many  questions 
before  their  curiosity  would  be  satisfied.  They  finally 
became  quiet,  however,  and  I  could  tell  them  of  the 
Saviour,  who  had  loved  to  teach  just  such  needy  ones  as 
they  were.  I  enjoyed  the  afternoon  very  much ;  it  was  all 
the  more  precious  for  the  discomforts  of  the  night,  and  the 
comforts  of  Senum's  house.  The  next  day  was  the  Sab- 
bath, and  most  of  the  time  I  was  in  the  'large  room,' 
Avhere  the  women  came  freely.  In  the  afternoon  about 
three  hundred  were  present.  I  was  weary  at  night,  but 
Senum's  care,  with  the  thought  of  the  privilege  of  meeting 
so  many  who  had  never  before  heard  of  Christ  as  the  only 
Saviour,  made  me  forget  it  all." 

Painful  as  is  this  view  of  woman  as  she  was  among  the 
Nestorians,  her  condition  was  still  worse  among  the  Mo- 
hammedans ;  not,  indeed,  in  matters  of  outward  comfort, 


MARBEESHOO.  31 

for  the  wealth  of  Persia  is  in  Moslem  hands,  and  they 
occupy  every  position  of  rank  or  authority  in  the  land. 
But  in  all  that  pertains  to  morality  and  religion,  they 
stand  on  a  lower  level. 

The  Nestorian  woman  may  not  have  known  what  was 
contained  in  the  Bible,  yet  she  knew  that  it  was  the  word 
of  God,  and  was  ready  to  receive  all  its  teachings  as  of 
divine  authority.  To  her  Moslem  sister  it  is  not  only  an 
unknown  book,  but  one  she  is  taught  to  regard  as  super- 
seded by  the  Koran. 

Although  the  Nestorian  woman  knew  nothing  of  spirit- 
ual worship,  yet  she  regarded  the  Lord's  day  as  set  apart 
for  his  service.  The  Moslem,  on  the  other  hand,  regards 
it  like  any  other  day  of  the  week,  and  exalts  her  Friday 
to  the  place  that  of  right  belongs  to  the  Sabbath  of  the 
Lord. 

In  all  her  degradation,  the  Nestorian  woman  reverenced 
the  name  of  Jesus  as  her  God.  True,  she  had  no  correct 
idea  of  salvation  or  redeeming  love ;  yet  even  a  blind 
attachment  to  that  sacred  name  is  not  without  its  reward. 
She  may  have  fallen  very  low,  but  there  was  a  power  even 
in  her  ignorant  adherence  to  Christ,  that  kept  her  from 
falling  to  the  level  of  those  who  renounced  him  for  the 
Arabian  impostor.  This  was  seen  especially  in  the  bless- 
ings that  came  to  her  through  the  institution  of  Christian 
marriage,  while  others  groaned  under  the  debasing  in- 
fluence of  a  sensual  polygamy.  The  wretchedness  this 
occasioned  is  a  topic  too  large  and  too  painful  to  dwell 
upon  here.  But  the  wide  gulf  that  separated  the  two 
classes  was  clearly  seen,  when  on  her  Sabbath  the  mis- 
sionary could  speak  to  the  Nestorian  of  her  Saviour 
out  of  her  Bible,  while   the   Moslem   knows  nothing  be- 


32  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

ycmd  her  kohl  and  her  henna,1  her  dresses  and  her 
follies,  and  other  topics  at  once  belittling,  debasing,  and 
corrupting. 

1  Kohl  is  a  black  powder  used  to  paint  the  eyebrows  and  eye- 
lashes. Henna  is  madder  employed  to  stain  the  nails,  and  sometimes 
the  entire  hand  and  part  of  the  foot. 


CHAPTER    III. 

THE    SCENE   OF   THE   NARRATIVE. 

NESTORIANS.  THEIR    COUNTRY.  FRONTISPIECE. LAKE.  —  PLAIN. 

FORDING    THE    SHAHER. MISSION    PREMISES    IN    OROOMIAH. 

We  will  now  glance  at  the  scene  of  the  events  to  be 
narrated,  as  it  may  not  be  familiar  to  every  reader.  To 
write  of  woman  in  Persia  would  embrace  the  whole  empire 
as  the  field  of  inquiry;  for  the  existence  of  woman  is  co- 
extensive with  the  population.  But  "Woman  and  her 
Saviour  in  Persia"  confines  our  attention  to  those  who 
have  been  taught  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus;  for  when 
Christ  sent  forth  Paul  to  preach  his  gospel  to  the  Gentiles, 
it  was  that  they  might  receive  forgiveness  of  sins,  and 
inheritance  among  them  who  are  sanctified  by  faith  that  is 
in  him ;  and  how  shall  they  believe  in  him  of  whom  they 
have  not  heard?  Our  theme,  then,  confines  us  to  the 
Nestorians,  who  number  about  one  hundred  thousand  souls. 
About  two  thirds  of  these  live  in  Turkey ;  but  the  follow- 
ing pages  relate  principally  to  those  residing  in  Persia,  and 
hence  the  title  of  the  volume. 

This  people  inhabit,  along  with  Koords  and  other  races, 
the  territory  extending  from  the  western  shore  of  the  Lake 
of  Oroomiah  to  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Tigris.  It  includes 
the  Persian  province  of  Oroomiah,  and  both  the  eastern 
and  western  slope  of  Central  Koordistan.  The  most  inac- 
cessible  recesses   of  the  Koordish   Mountains  have   been 

(33) 


34  WOMAN    AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

their  refuge  for  centuries.  The  whole  region  extends  across 
four  degrees  of  longitude,  with  a  varying  breadth  of  from 
one  to  two  degrees  of  latitude.  Attention  will  be  called 
especially  to  the  city  of  Oroomiah  and  the  villages  around  it. 
The  plain  of  that  name  is  about  forty  miles  long  and  from 
twelve  to  twenty  miles  in  width,  containing  not  far  from 
six  hundred  square  miles.  It  is  dotted  with  perhaps  three 
hundred  villages,  the  population  varying,  according  to  the 
size  of  the  village,  from  less  than  one  hundred  to  more 
than  a  thousand  inhabitants. 

The  frontispiece  gives  a  view  of  this  plain,  from  the  roof 
of  the  mission  premises  at  Seir,  one  thousand  feet  above 
the  city.  The  mountains  of  Sooldooz  appeal'  on  the  right, 
and  the  high  range  west  of  the  narrowest  part  of  the  lake 
on  the  left.  The  lake  itself  is  seen  beyond  the  plain  at 
the  foot  of  the  mountains  which  rise  abruptly  from  its 
eastern  shore.  The  distance  makes  it  seem  much  narrower 
than  it  is,  for  it  extends  eighty  miles  in  length,  and  is  not 
far  from  thirty  miles  in  breadth.  Its  surface  is  fourteen 
hundred  feet  above  the  sea,  and  four  hundred  feet  below 
the  city  of  Oroomiah.  No  living  thing  exists  in  its  waters, 
which  are  both  salt  and  bituminous. 

The  plain  is  more  crowded  with  villages  than  here  rep- 
resented, and  each  one  is  made  conspicuous  by  its  grove 
of  trees,  as  well  as  its  houses.  The  city  appears  prominent 
at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  though  six  miles  distant  from  the 
spectator.  It  is  in  the  same  latitude  with  Richmond, 
Virginia,  and  contains  about  twenty-five  thousand  souls. 
The  plain  slopes  up  very  gradually  from  the  lake,  and 
Mount  Seir  rises,  behind  our  point  of  view,  two  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  thirty-four  feet  above  the  city.  Farther 
west,  the  summits  of  Central  Koordistan  rise,  range  above 
range,  to  the  height  of  twelve  or  fourteen  thousand  feet. 


THE    SCENE   OF   THE    NARRATIVE.  35 

We  pass  down  from  Seir  to  the  city  by  a  .carriage  road, 
now  by  the  side  of  vineyards,  and  now  near  fields  of  wheat 
and  clover,  diversified  by  orchards  and  gardens  of  cucum- 
bers. All  of  these,  and  indeed  the  whole  plain,  owes  its 
fertility  to  canals,  led  out  from  the  rivers  which  descend 
from  the  mountains.  Willow,  poplar,  and  sycamore  trees 
line  these  watercourses.  All  kinds  of  fruit  trees  abound, 
while  the  rich  verdure  of  the  plain  contrasts  strikingly 
with  the  bare  declivities  that  overlook  it  from  every  side. 
The  villages  on  either  hand  are  clusters  of  mud  houses 
crowded  together  for  greater  security,  and  every  tree  in 
their  groves  has  to  be  watered  as  regularly  as  the  fields 
and  gardens. 

Before  reaching  the  city  we  must  ford  the  Shaher,  a 
river  that,  though  frequently  all  drained  off  into  the  fields 
in  summer,  is  very  deep  in  early  spring,  when  fatal  acci- 
dents sometimes  occur.  It  was  here  that,  in  May,  1846, 
Miss  Fiske  narrowly  escaped  a  watery  grave.  On  her  way 
to  Seir,  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stoddard,  the  horse  lay  down  in 
the  middle  of  the  river,  leaving  her  to  be  swept  off  by  the 
rapid  current.  Mr.  Stoddard  hastened  to  the  rescue ;  but 
the  moment  his  steed  was  loose,  he  rushed  to  attack  the 
horse  of  Mrs.  Stoddard,  and,  as  Miss  Fiske  rose  to  the  sur- 
face, she  caught  a  glimpse  of  Mr.  Stoddard  looking  back 
on  the  battle,  and  his  wife  held  between  the  combatants  by 
her  riding  habit,  which  had  caught  on  the  saddle ;  but 
while  she  looked  the  dress  gave  way,  and  Mrs.  Stoddard 
was  safe.  She  herself  had  sufficient  presence  of  mind  not 
to  breathe  under  water,  and,  on  coming  up  for  the  fifth 
time,  floated  into  shallow  water  near  the  opposite  shore, 
forty  rods  below  the  ford,  just  as  Mr.  Stoddard  reached  the 
same  point. 

From  the  river,  beautiful  orchards  line  the  road  on  both 


36  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

sides  to  the  city  gate,  of  which  a  representation  is  given  on 
page  154 ;  and  about  one  eighth  of  a  mile  inside  of  that, 
where  the  Nestorian  and  Moslem  sections  of  the  city  join 
each  other,  stand  the  mission  premises,  built  of  sun-dried 
bricks,  like  the  houses  around  them. 

They  occupy  a  little  more  than  an  acre,  in  the  form  of  a 
parallelogram ;  and  if,  for  the  sake  of  clearness,  we  compare 
it  to  a  window,  the  bottom  of  the  lower  sash  is  represented 
by  a  long,  earthen-roofed  structure,  half  of  it  a  dwelling 
house,  once  the  home  of  Dr.  Grant,  but  now  the  dwelling 
of  Dr.  Wright.  It  is  the  building  on  the  left  of  the  en- 
graving at  page  131,  and  the  round  object  occupying  the 
nearest  window  in  the  second  story  is  a  clock,  the  gift  of 
a  well-known  merchant  of  Boston,  brother  of  one  of  our 
deceased  missionaries.  Let  our  lower  sash  be  filled  by  two 
large  panes  in  modern  style,  and  these  are  represented  by 
two  courts  surrounded  by  pavements,  and  shaded  by  large 
sycamore  trees.  In  the  engraving  just  referred  to,  the 
spectator  stands  in  one  of  these  courts,  looking  over  a  low 
wall  into  the  other.  For  the  top  of  the  lower  sash,  we  have 
another  building,  extending  across  the  premises.  The  left 
half  of  this  appearing  on  page  131,  behind  the  trees,  and  on 
the  opposite  page  represented  without  them,  was  the  first 
home  of  Dr.  Perkins,  and  is  now  the  Female  Seminary ; 
but  repeated  additions  and  modifications  have  been  re- 
quired to  transform  a  building,  originally  erected  for  a 
pi-ivate  residence,  into  a  structure  suitable  for  such  a 
school. 

Miss  Fiske  first  taught  in  one  room  of  a  building  to  the 
right,  which  does  not  appear  in  the  engraving,  though  a 
part  of  it  is  seen  on  page  131 ;  then,  as  the  school  grew 
larger,  another  room  was  added,  and  when  those  quarters 
became  too  strait,  this  building  was  remodelled  for  its  use. 


If  i 

I  '/'  'An 

m 


I 


■# 


THE   SCENE    OF   THE   NARRATIVE.  39 

As  we  shall  have  a  good  deal  to  do  with  the  Seminary 
in  these  pages,  let  us  become  familiar  with  its  home.  Be- 
tween the  central  door  and  the  one  on  the  left,  those  three 
windows  belong  to  a  large  room  once  used  as  a  chapel, 
but  since  then  as  a  guest  room  for  the  accommodation 
of  the  women  whom  we  shall  see  coming  here  to  learn  of 
Jesus.  In  this  room,  Nestorian  converts  first  partook  of 
the  Lord's  supper  with  the  missionaries.  The  left  of  the 
three  windows  directly  over  these,  with  the  rose-bush  in 
it,  belongs  to  Miss  Fiske's  private  room,  and  the  other 
two  to  her  sitting  room.  This  the  pupils  have  named 
"  The  Bethel,"  and  it  is  so  connected  that  the  teacher  can 
step  into  recitation  room,  dining  room,  or  kitchen,  as  occa- 
sion requires.  The  last  named  apartment  is  on  the  rear 
of  the  building.  The  largest  recitation  room,  by  a  curious 
necessity,  is  in  the  form  of  a  carpenter's  wooden  square, 
with  the  teacher's  desk  in  the  angle  between  the  two  com- 
partments. One  of  these  is  on  the  back  side  of  the  build- 
ing, out  of  sight ;  the  other,  extending  across  the  end,  is 
represented  in  front  by  the  window  at  the  extreme  left. 

Over  the  central  door  is,  first,  the  steward's  room,  and 
then  closets  over  that ;  for  one  of  the  results  of  the  succes- 
sive alterations  and  additions  is,  that  parts  of  the  building 
are  two,  and  other  parts  three,  stories  high.  Miss  Rice's 
room  is  directly  over  the  door  on  the  left  hand,  as  the  stew- 
ard's is  here.  The  three  windows  in  the  second  story,  to 
the  right  of  the  two  centi-al  closets,  open  into  the  dining 
room,  and  one  of  the  girls'  rooms  occupies  the  corner  be- 
yond. On  the  lower  floor,  going  from  the  central  door  to 
the  right,  is  first  a  closet,  and  then  a  large  guest  room  for 
visitors ;  and  underneath  the  whole  is  the  cellar  where  the 
boys'  school  was  first  taught,  that  has  since  grown  into  the 
Male  Seminary  at  Seir. 


40  WOMAN    AND    HER    SAVIOUR. 

The  rooms  of  the  pupils  are  mostly  in  the  rear.  These 
are  large  enough  to  accommodate  six  or  eight  occupants, 
as  the  Oriental  style  of  living  does  not  require  so  much 
furniture  as  ours.  In  each  room  is  a  member  of  the  senior 
class,  who  exercises  a  kind  supervision  over  her  younger 
companions.  Every  room  has  two  or  more  closets,  de- 
signed especially,  but  not  exclusively,  for  devotion ;  and 
some  sleep  in  the  recitation  rooms,  as  such  a  use  of  them  at 
night  does  not  interfere  with  other  uses  during  the  clay. 

But  we  had  almost  forgotten  our  imaginary  window,  the 
upper  sash  of  which  remains  to  be  described.  In  that  we 
have  only  one  pane,  representing  a  large  court,  with  the 
chapel  on  one  side,  and  the  wash  rooms  and  other  out- 
buildings of  the  Seminary  on  the  other.  This  court  is 
more  garden-like  than  the  other  two,  has  fewer  trees,  and  a 
long  arbor,  covered  with  graj^e  vines,  forms  a  covered  walk 
in  the  middle  of  it.  It  was  in  this  arbor  that  the  tables 
were  spread  for  the  collation  in  1850,  to  be  described 
hereafter.  This  court  is  invaluable  as  a  place  for  out-door 
exercise,  where  the  pupils  may  enjoy  the  fresh  air,  free 
from  the  annoyances  and  exposui-es  of  the  streets  in  an 
Oriental  city. 

A  stream  is  led  through  all  these  courts  in  a  channel 
lined  with  stone.  Its  murmuring  waters  are  a  pleasant 
sound  at  eai'ly  dawn,  when  they  mingle  sweetly  with  the 
morning  song  of  birds.  Here  many  Nestorian  women 
come  to  fill  their  earthen  pitchers,  as  the  water  is  not  car- 
ried through  the  courts  of  Christian  houses.  The  mission 
premises  belonged  to  Mohammedans;  and  here,  in  the  shade 
of  the  tall  sycamores,  Mrs.  Grant  used  to  sit,  with  her  chil- 
dren, and  talk  with  the  women  who  came  for  water.  Her 
successors  find  time  to  continue  the  same  practice,  and  as 
the  natives  let  down  their  pitchers  (Gen.  xxiv.  18),  and 


THE   SCENE   OF   THE   NARRATIVE.  41 

now  and  then  one  is  broken  (Eccles.  xii.  6),  realize  that 
they  live  in  a  Bible  land,  and  seek  to  make  its  daughters 
feel  the  power  of  Bible  truth. 

The  Seminary  is  outwardly  very  humble,  and  would 
contrast  very  unfavorably  with  the  stately  edifices  of  sim- 
ilar institutions  at  home.  But  we  shall  see  that  the  Saviour 
has  not  disdained  to  honor  it  with  his  presence,  and  its 
earthen  floors  and  mud  walls1  have  witnessed  many  a 
gracious  visit  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Though  the  glory  of 
Lebanon  has  not  come  unto  it,  yet  has  God  himself  beauti- 
fied the  place  and  made  it  glorious.. 

1  The  pilasters  in  the  engraving  are  made  of  brick,  and  not  only 
support  the  large  timbers  of  the  roof,  but,  by  their  greater  projec- 
tion, protect  the  softer  material  of  the  -wall  from  the  weather.  The 
■whole  is  plastered  outside  with  a  mixture  of  lime  and  clay,  that 
requires  frequent  renewal. 
4* 


CHAPTER    IV. 

MISSIONARY  EDUCATION. 

OBJECT. MEANS.  —  STUDY  OF  BIBLE. PUPILS  KEPT  IN  SYMPATHY  WITH 

THE   PEOPLE. PEOPLE   STIMULATED  TO    EXERTION   AND   SELF-DEPEN- 
DENCE.'  TAHITI. MADAGASCAR. 

» 

Let  us  now  look  at  some  of  the  principles  on  which 
missionary  education  was  here  carried  on,  that  we  may  see 
what  kind  of  an  instrumentality  God  was  pleased  to  crown 
with  his  blessing. 

The  Seminary  was  founded,  not  to  polish  the  manners, 
refine  the  taste,  or  impart  accomplishments,  hut  to  renovate 
the  character  by  a  permanent  inward  change.  The  main 
dependence  for  bringing  this  about  was  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Ghost — the  only  power  that  can  impart  or  maintain 
spiritual  life  in  man.  This  dependence  was  expressed  in 
fervent  prayer,  offered  for  years  amid  discouragement  and 
opposition,  and,  instead  of  ceasing  when  an  answer  came, 
only  offered  by  a  greater  number.  It  is  worthy  of  note 
that  some  of  the  seasons  of  greatest  revival  were  preceded 
by  disasters  that  threatened  the  very  existence  of  the 
mission. 

The  principal  text  book  was  the  word  of  God ;  partly, 
as  we  shall  see,  through  a  providential  necessity,  but 
chiefly  because  it  was  God's  own  chosen  instrumentality 
for  the  salvation  of  our  race ;  and  it  was  eminently 
adapted  for  the  education  of  such  a  people.  .  The  teachers 

(42) 


MISSIONARY   EDUCATION.  43 

could  say,  with  a  beloved  co-laborer  on  Mount  Lebanon, 
"To  the  Scriptures  we  give  increased  attention;  they  do 
more  to  unfold  and  expand  the  intellectual  powers,  and 
to  create  careful  and  honest  thinkers,  than  all  the  sciences 
we  teach."  It  is  also  most  efficient  in  freeing  mind  and 
heart  from  those  erroneous  views  that  are  opposed  to 
its  teachings ;  and  actual  trial  developed  a  richness  and 
fulness  of  practical  adaptation  to  the  work  that  aston- 
ished even  those  who  already  knew  something  of  its 
value.  Its  precepts  and  instructions  were  also  clothed  with 
power :  requirements  and  counsels  which  from  the  -mis- 
sionary had  only  awakened  opposition,  coming  from  the 
Bible  were  received  as  messages  from  heaven.  Said  a 
Nestorian  to  a  missionary  who  had  been  speaking  to  him 
the  words  of  God,  "  His  words  grew  very  beautiful  while 
we  were  talking."  In  reference  to  every  suspicious  novelty 
or  distasteful  duty,  the  Bible  was  the  ultimate  appeal. 
The  missionary  could  say  to  them  as  Paul  did  to  an  early 
church,  "  When  ye  received  the  word  of  God,  which  ye 
heard  of  us,  ye  received  it  not  as  the  word  of  man,  but,  as 
it  is  in  truth,  the  word  of  God,  which  effectually  worketh 
also  in  you  that  believe."  Besides,  those  thus  educated 
were  to  teach  others,  and  needed  to  be  thoroughly  furnished 
from  the  divine  oracles  with  the  truths  they  were  to  im- 
part. It  is  not  strange,  then,  that  in  the  Seminary  the 
Bible  was  studied  both  doctrinally  and  historically;  that 
they  had  a  system  of  theology  and  tables  of  Scripture 
chronology ;  that  biblical  biography  and  geography  were 
regular  studies ;  that  different  portions  of  Scripture  occupied 
different  years ;  and  that,  instead  of  Butler's  Analogy  and 
Wayland's  Moral  Science,  were  the  Epistles  to  the  Romans 
and  Hebrews  studied  with  all  the  accurate  analysis  and 
thoroughness  bestowed  elsewhere  upon  the  classics.     Such 


44  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

teaching  would  yield  good  fruit  any  where,  and  the  good 
seed  found  good  ground  in  Persia. 

So  much  for  the  instrumentality^  but,  then,  influences 
are  every  where  at  work  to  check  the  growth  of  the  plant 
of  grace,  and  these  must  be  overcome.  There  is  danger 
that  missionary  education  may  be  made  worse  than  useless 
by  allowing  the  sympathies  of  pupils  to  become  alienated 
from  the  masses  around  them.  Children  from  heathen 
families  may  be  puffed  up  with  an  idea  of  superiority  to 
their  own  people.  Their  taste  may  be  cultivated  so  as  to 
render  disgust  with  heathen  degradation  stronger  than  the 
Christian  desire  to  do  them  good.  A  foreign  language, 
foreign  dress,  and  foreign  habits  may  widen  the  gulf  that 
separates  them  from  their  people,  till,  what  with  an  undue 
exaltation  on  the  one  hand  and  a  suspicious  jealousy  on  the 
othei-,  usefulness  is  well  nigh  impossible.  But  here  such 
tendencies  have  been  carefully  watched  and  guarded 
against.  The  pupils  have  been  trained  with  the  view  of 
doing  good  among  their  own  people.  No  line  of  separa- 
tion has  been  drawn  in  dress  or  diet,  furniture  or  household 
arrangements.  While  taught  to  be  neat,  the  goal  kept 
ever  in  sight  has  been,  a  happy  usefulness  in  their  own 
homes,  the  elevation  of  the  mass  just  as  fast  as  was  con- 
sistent with  mutual  love  and  sympathy,  the  people  not 
feeling  that  their  daughters  were  denationalized,  and  they 
not  lifted  out  of  sympathy  with  the  homes  they  were  to 
bless.  Hence,  even  in  1844,  we  find  the  mud  floor  of  the 
small  school  room  covered  with  straw  mats ;  one  window, 
of  oiled  paper,  admitting  the  light ;  and  a  brick  stove,  with 
a  few  rude  benches,  its  only  furniture.  In  the  other  room, 
where  the  cooking  was  done,  the  pupils  ate,  and  spent  their 
time  out  of  school.  Here  were  two  windows  of  like  ma- 
terial ;  and  besides  the  mats,  the  floor  was  covered  with  a 


MISSIONARY   EDUCATION.  45 

thick  felt,  on  which  they  spread  their  beds  at  night.  A 
table  was  provided,  covered  with  a  coarse  blue  and  white 
check.  There  were  also  a  set  of  coarse  plates  and  a  few 
other  dishes,  but  no  knives  nor  forks.  They  eat  their  soup 
with  wooden  spoons,  and  their  other  food  with  their  hands. 
Their  clothing,  like  their  cooking,  was  mostly  in  native 
style ;  and  they  were  taught  to  make  it  for  themselves. 

Another  object  in  missionary  education  is,  to  do  enough 
to  stimulate  to  exertion,  and  yet  not  foster  inefficiency  or 
undue  dependence.  The  Nestorians  are  poor,  but  doing 
too  much  for  them  may  make  them  still  poorer.  They 
must  be  brought  to  sustain  their  own  institutions  at  the 
earliest  possible  moment,  and  their  training  should  keep 
that  end  in  view.  Hence  Miss  Fiske  writes,  "At  first  I 
was  inclined  to  do  more  for  them  than  afterwards,  and  at 
length  settled  down  on  this  principle, — to  give  my  pupils 
nothing  for  common  use  which  they  could  not  secure  in 
their  own  homes  by  industry  and  economy.  So  I  furnished 
only  such  articles  as  they  could  buy  in  the  city.  I  pre- 
ferred that  they  should  make  all  their  own  clothing,  and 
may  have  grieved  friends  sometimes  by  declining  clothing 
which  they  offered  to  send  for  them.  We  chose  rather  to 
spend  our  own  strength  in  training  them  to  provide  for 
themselves.  I  do  not  mean  that  I  am  not  glad  to  see 
foreign  articles  in  Oroomiah ;  but  we  were  in  danger  of 
fostering  a  more  expensive  taste  than  they  would  have  the 
means  of  gratifying.  Our  great  object  is  to  raise  up  the 
most  efficient  coadjutors  from  among  the  people,  and  they 
must  labor  among  their  neighbors  as  of  them,  and  not  as 
foreigners,  and  be  jDrepared  to  carry  forward  the  work  when 
we  leave  it. 

"  At  first  we  clothed  as  well  as  boarded  our  pupils,  and 
then  led  them  to  provide  one  article  after  another,  till  they 


46  WOMAN   AND   HER  SAVIOUR. 

clothed  themselves.  It  was  delightful  to  see  the  interest 
parents  began  to  take  in  clothing  their  daughters,  in  order 
to  send  them  to  school  after  they  provided  their  own  gar- 
ments. They  took  better  care  of  them,  and  so  learned 
to  take  better  care  of  other  things.  Since  I  left,  Miss  Rice 
has  advanced  farther  in  this  matter;  and  last  year  most  of 
the  pupils  paid  a  trifle  for  tuition,  amounting  in  all  to  over 
twenty  dollars.  It  often  costs  more  than  the  amount  to 
secure  these  pittances ;  but  it  does  our  pupils  good,  and  we 
spared  no  pains  to  this  end." 

It  is  touching  to  see  the  spirit  manifested  by  some  parents 
in  this  connection.  One  very  poor  widow,  whose  little  field 
of  grain  had  been  devoured  by  locusts,  brought  a  large 
squash  and  a  quantity  of  raisins  which  she  had  earned  by 
laboring  for  others  —  a  self-denial  almost  equal  to  her  pre- 
vious giving  up  of  her  only  bed  for  the  use  of  a  daughter 
in  the  Seminary,  which  she  brought,  saying,  "I  can  sleep 
on  the  hasseer  [rush  mat],  if  you  will  only  receive  her 
into  school." 

It  certainly  is  not  benevolence  to  do  for  others  what 
they  can  do  as  well  for  themselves,  or  to  do  for  them  in  a 
way  to  diminish  either  their  ability  or  disposition  to  pro- 
vide for  themselves.  Missionaries  may  be  in  danger  of 
staying  too  long  and  doing  too  much  for  a  people,  rather 
than  of  leaving  them  too  soon  after  the  gospel  has  taken 
root  among  them. 

Native  pastors  came  into  being  at  Tahiti  simply  because 
the  French  drove  off  the  missionaries.  They  were  not 
ordained  before,  but  at  once  proved  themselves  equal  to 
the  work  that  Providence  assigned  them  ;  and  after  twenty 
years  of  French  misrule,  in  spite  of  Popery  on  the  one 
hand  and  brandy  and  vice  on  the  other,  there  are  now 


MISSIONARY   EDUCATION.  47 

more  church  members  under  these  native  pastors  than  ever 
before. 

Twenty  years  ago  the  European  shepherds  were  driven 
from  Madagascar,  and  a  few  lambs  left  in  the  midst  of 
wolves ;  but  God  raised  up  native  pastors,  and,  instead  of 
tens  of  Christians  under  Europeans,  there  are  now  hundreds, 
yea,  thousands,  under  these  natives.1  Those  missionaries  are 
wise  who  aim  constantly  at  results  like  these ;  and  it  is  in 
such  a  spirit  that  work  has  been  done  among  the  women 
of  Persia. 

1  Rev.  Dr.  Tidman,  secretary  of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  in 
"  Conference  of  Missions  at  Liverpool,"  1860,  p.  225. 


CHAPTER  V. 

BEGINNINGS. 

MRS.  GRANT. EARLY    LIFE    AND    LABORS. GREAT    INFLUENCE. HER 

SCHOOL.  HER    PUPILS.  CHANGED      INTO      BOARDING     SCHOOL.  

GETTING    PUPILS. CARE    OF    THEM.  —  DIFFICULTIES    FROM    POVERTY 

OF   PEOPLE. PAYING    FOR    FOOD    OF    SCHOLARS. POSITION    OF    UN- 
MARRIED MISSIONARY  LADIES. BOORS. 

We  have  seen  that  among  the  Nestorians  it  was  counted 
a  disgrace  for  a  female  to  leai'n  to  read ;  and  even  now,  in 
the  districts  remote  from  missionary  influence,  a  woman 
who  reads,  and  especially  one  who  writes,  is  an  object  of 
public  odium,  if  not  of  persecution.  How,  then,  could  the 
Nestorians  be  induced  to  send  their  daughters  to  schools  ? 
"What  overcame  this  strong  national  prejudice  ?  These 
questions  open  a  delightful  chapter  in  divine  providence, 
showing  how  wonderfully  God  adapts  means  to  ends,  even 
on  opposite  sides  of  the  globe.  • 

A  Christian  gentleman  in  the  State  of  New  York,  on  the 
death  of  his  wife's  sister,  adopted  into  his  own  family  her 
infant  child.  She  was  trained  to  the  exercise  of  a  practical 
Christian  benevolence,  and  her  superior  mind  was  improved 
by  an  education  remarkably  thorough.  In  the  classics  and 
mathematics  she  exhibited  uncommon  aptitude,  and  made 
unusual  attainments ;  so  that  it  was  truly  said  of  her,  "  Per- 
haps no  female  missionary  ever  left  our  country  with  a  mind 
so  well  disciplined  as  Mrs.  Judith  S.  Grant."     She  sailed  for 

(48) 


BEGINNINGS.  49 

Persia,  July  11,  1835;  and  there  she  displayed  rare  ability 
in  acquiring  the  language  of  the  people.  The  Turkish  she 
soon  spoke  familiarly.  In  a  short  time  she  read  the  ancient 
Syriac,  and  acquired  the  spoken  language  with  at  least' 
equal  facility.  Previous  even  to  these  acquisitions,  she 
taught  Mar  Yohanan  and  others  English  ;  and  as  they 
noticed  the  ease  with  which  she  turned  to  her  Greek  Tes- 
tament, whenever  ours  seemed  to  differ  from  the  ancient 
Syriac,  they  regarded  her  with  feelings  in  which  it  would 
be  hard  to  say  whether  wonder,  love,  or  reverence  was  the 
strongest.  Some  might  have  cried  out,  when  her  fine  intel- 
lect and  rare  acquirements  were  devoted  to  the  missionary 
work,  "Why  is  this  waste  of  the  ointment  made?"  But 
had  her  friends  searched  the  round  world  for  a  sphere  of 
greatest  usefulness,  they  could  not  have  selected  one  where 
her  rare  gifts  would  have  accomplished  so  much ;  and  when 
such  a  woman  manifested  deep  solicitude  for  the  education 
of  her  sex,  ancient  prejudice  fell  before  her.  She  taught 
her  own  domestics  to  read.  She  sedulously  cultivated  the 
acquaintance  of  both  Christian  and  Mohammedan  women ; 
nor  did  she  rest  till  she  had  opened  a  school  for  girls  in 
what  is  now  Mr.  Cowan's  barn.  Such  was  her  zeal,  that 
when  her  health  would  not  allow  her  to  go  there,  she 
taught  the  pupils  in  her  own  apartment.  She  commenced 
with  only  four  scholars,  but  at  the  same  time  prepared  the 
maps  for  Parley's  Geography  in  modern  Syriac,  and  the 
old  map  of  Oroomiah,  so  familiar  to  the  readers  of  the 
Missionary  Herald,  was  her  handiwork.  Nor  was  her  use- 
fulness confined  to  her  school  room.  Hers  was  the  privi- 
lege of  creating  such  a  public  sentiment  in  favor  of  the 
education  of  woman,  that  her  successors  have  found  the 
gates  wide  open  before  them,  and  often  wondered  at  the 
extent  and  permanence  of  the  influence  she  acquired. 
5 


50  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

There  is  no  one  topic  of  which  Miss  Fiske  has  spoken  to 
the  writer  so  frequently,  and  with  such  enthusiasm,  as  the 
great  work  that  Mrs.  Grant  accomplished  for  woman  in 
Persia,  during  her  short  missionary  life.  She  was  the  labo- 
rious and  self-denying  pioneer  in  female  education,  and 
every  year  thus  far  has  brought  to  light  new  evidence  of 
her  extensive  usefulness.  It  was  no  empty  compliment, 
M'hen  the  venerable  Mar  Elias  said,  "We  will  bury  her  in 
our  church,  where  none  but  very  holy  men  are  laid.  As  she 
has  done  so  much  for  us,  we  want  the  privilege  of  digging 
her  grave  with  our  own  hands." 

Miss  Fiske  writes,  shortly  after  her  arrival,  "  The  first 
Syriac  word  I  learned  was  'daughter;'  and  as  I  can  now 
use  the  verb  '  to  give,'  I  often  ask  parents  to  give  me  their 
daughters.  Some  think  that  I  cannot  secure  boarding 
scholars,  but  Mrs.  Grant  got  day  scholars ;  and  when  I 
hear  men,  women,  and  children  say,  'How  she  loved  us  !'  I 
want  to  love  them  too.  I  mean  to  devote  at  least  five 
years  to  the  work  of  trying  to  gather  girls  into  a  boarding 
school,  as  Mrs.  Grant  desrred  to  do.  She  has  gone  to  her 
rest.  I  wonder  that  I  am  allowed  to  take  her  place." 
And  again :  "  I  am  usually  in  school  till  three  P.  M.,  and 
then  I  go  out  among  the  poor  mothers  till  tea  time.  They 
often  say  to  me,  'Mrs.  Grant  did  just  as  you  do.'  Her 
short  life  was  a  precious  offering.  I  feel  each  day  more  and 
more  that  I  have  entered  into  the  labors  of  a  faithful  servant 
of  Christ." 

Among  the  pupils  of  Mrs.  Grant  was  Selby,  of  Oroomiah, 
who  was  hopefully  converted  while  teaching  some  day 
scholars  connected  with  the  Seminary,  in  1845.  Raheel, 
(Rachel,)  the  wife  of  Siyad,  the  tailor  mentioned  in  the 
Memoir  of  Mr.  Stoddard,  was  another.  So  were  Sanum, 
the  wife  of  Joseph ;   Moressa,  the  wife   of  Yakob ;    and 


BEGINNINGS.  51 

Sarah,  the  daughter  of  Priest  Abraham,  and  wife  of 
Oshana,  of  whom  we  shall  hear  more  hereafter. 

After  the  death  of  Mrs.  Grant,  January  14,  1839,  the 
school  was  continued  under  the  charge  of  Mr.  Holladay, 
who  employed  native  teachers  to  assist  him,  the  ladies  of 
the  mission  cooperating  as  they  could.  It  then  passed  into 
the  hands  of  Dr.  Wright,  who  had  the  care  of  it  when  Miss 
Fiske  arrived  in  Oroomiah,  June  14,  1843.  During  all  this 
time  it  was  only  a  day  school,  and  contact  with  vice  in  the 
homes  o,f  the  pupils  greatly  hindered  its  usefulness.  It 
was  for  this  reason  that  Miss  Fiske  was  exceedingly  anxious 
to  make  it  a  boarding  school,  so  as  to  retain  the  pupils 
continuously  under  good  influences.  But  would  they  be 
allowed  to  spend  the  night  on  the  mission  premises  ?  This 
was  doubted  by  many,  and  all  had  their  fears;  yet  in 
August  an  appropriation  was  made  for  the  support  of  six 
boai'ding  pupils,  who  were  to  be  entirely  under  the  control 
of  the  mission  for  three  years.  Some  said  they  could  not 
be  obtained  for  even  one  year,  and  not  one  of  them  would 
remain  to  complete  the  three.  Even  Priest  Abraham  said, 
"  I  cannot  bear  the  reproach  of  having  my  daughter  live 
with  you."  At  that  time",  scarcely  a  girl  twelve  years  old 
could  be  found  who  was  not  betrothed ;  and  years  were 
devoted  to  the  preparation  of  a  coarse  kind  of  embroidery, 
a  certain  amount  of  which  must  be  ready  for  the  wedding. 

One  day  in  August,  Mar  Yohanan  said  to  Miss  Fiske, 
"You  get  ready,  and  I  find  girls."  She  devoted  that 
month  and  the  next  to  preparation  for  her  expected 
charge.  But  the  day  came  for  opening  the  school,  and  not 
one  pupil  had  been  obtained.  The  teacher  was  feeling 
somewhat  anxious,  when,  from  her  window  in  the  second 
story,  she  saw  Mar  Yohanan  crossing  the  court,  with  a  girl 
in  either  hand.     One  of  them  was  his  own  niece,  Selby,  of 


52  WOMAN   AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 

Gavalan,  seven  years  of  age ;  the  other,  Hanee,  of  Geog 
Tapa,  about  three  years  older.  They  were  not  very  inviting  in 
outward  appearance  ;  but  it  did  not  take  Miss  Fiske  long  to 
reach  the  door,  where  the  bishop  met  her,  and  placing  their 
little  hands  in  hers,  said,  in  his  broken  English,  "  They  be 
your  daughters ;  no  man  take  them  from  your  hand."  She 
wrote  to  a  friend  an  account  of  her  success,  adding,  "  I  shall 
be  glad  to  give  them  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  love  to  look 
on  them  as  the  beginning  of  my  dear  school."  These  two 
pupils  were  supported  by  ladies  in  Maiden,  Massachusetts, 
and  the  number  soon  increased  to  six;  but  fifteen  days 
after,  two  of  them,  finding  the  gate  open,  suddenly  left  for 
home.  Their  teacher  did  not  think  it  advisable  to  follow 
them ;  nor  did  she  see  them  again  till,  ten  years  after,  an 
invitation  for  a  reunion  of  all  her  scholars  brought  two 
whom  she  did  not  recognize.  She  said,  "Perhaps  you 
were  here  under  Mrs.  Grant  ?  "  "  No,  we  were  your  own 
scholars  for  fifteen  days,  and  we  are  very  sorry  we  ran 
away."  They  are  now  both  useful  Christians,  and  the 
places  they  left  in  1843  were  speedily  filled  by  others. 

The  care  of  the  school  was  much  more  exhausting  than 
its  instruction.  "When  the  teacher  went  out,  and  when  she 
came  in,  she  must  take  her  pupils  with  her,  for  she  dared 
not  leave  them  to  themselves.  Indeed,  so  strong  were  the 
feelings  of  their  friends,  that  they  allowed  them  to  remain 
only  on  condition  that  they  should  lodge  with  or  near  their 
teacher,  and  never  go  out  except  in  her  company.  A 
native  teacher  rendered  such  help  as  he  could,  needing 
much  teaching  himself;  and  everything  combined  to  make 
the  principal  feel  that  hers  was  to  be  a  work  of  faith  and 
prayer.  As  the  first  of  January  approached,  she  thought 
how  sweet  it  would  be  to  be  remembered  by  dear  friends 
at  Mount  Hoi  yoke ;  and  when  it  came,  she  wrote  to  Miss 


BEGINNINGS.  53 

Whitman,  "In  looking  over  Miss  Lyon's  suggestions  for 
the  observance  of  the  day,  last  year,  I  cannot  tell  you  how 
I  felt  as  I  read  the  words,  '  Perhaps  next  new  year's  day 
will  find  some  of  you  on  a  foreign  shore.  If  so,  we  pledge 
you  a  remembrance  within  these  consecrated  walls.'  I 
thought  not  then  that  privilege  would  be  mine ;  but  since 
it  is,  I  count  your  prayei's  the  greatest  favor  you  can 
confer." 

At  Oroomiah,  the  missionaries  met  together  for  prayer  at 
one  o'clock,  and  after  that  Dr.  Perkins  and  Mr.  Holladay 
preached  to  the  assembled  Seminaries,  while  the  ladies  of 
the  mission  met  separately  for  prayer ;  then  united  inter- 
cession again  closed  the  day.  And  they  needed  to  wait  on 
God,  for  many  difficulties  combined  to  prevent  success. 

One  was  the  poverty  of  the  people.  To  say  merely  that 
they  were  poor  gives  no  true  idea  of  their  situation  to  an 
American  reader.  They  were  extremely  poor,  and  grind- 
ing oppression  still  keeps  them  so.  In  1837,  Mr.  Stocking 
found  very  few  pupils  in  the  schools  wearing  shoes,  even  in 
the  snow  of  midwinter ;  and  one  sprightly  lad  in  Sabbath 
school  had  nothing  on  but  a  coarse  cotton  shirt,  reaching 
down  to  his  knees,  and  a  skull  cap,  though  the  missionary 
required  all  his  winter  clothes,  besides  a  fire,  to  keep  him 
comfortable. 

Another  evil  growing  out  of  their  poverty  was,  that  the 
missionaries,  in  order  to  give  the  first  impulse  to  education, 
resorted  to  some  measures  which,  after  an  interest  was 
awakened,  had  to  be  laid  aside  in  order  to  increase  it. 
For  example,  poor  parents  could  not  be  persuaded  to  earn 
bread  for  their  children  while  they  sent  them  to  school ; 
hence,  to  get  scholars  at  first,  the  mission  furnished  their 
daily  bread ;  and  this  having  been  done  for  the  boys,  had 
to  be  done  for  the  girls  also.  So,  in  the  winter  of  1843-44, 
5* 


54  WOMAN   AND   HER  SAVIOUR. 

twenty-five  cents  a  week  was  paid  to  the  day  scholars, 
the  others  having  their  board  instead.  But  the  current 
having  once  commenced  to  flow  in  the  new  channel,  such 
inducements  became  more  a  hinderance  than  a  help,  and,  in 
the  spring  of  1844,  Miss  Fiske  told  her  scholars  that  no 
more  money  would  be  paid  for  their  bread ;  and  though 
some  of  the  mission  feared  it  would  be  necessaiy  to  resume 
the  practice,  instead  of  that  it  was  soon  dropped  in  the 
other  Seminary  also. 

But  the  special  difficulty  growing  out  of  the  condition 
of  woman  in  a  Mohammedan  country  demands  our  notice. 
Some  may  suppose  that  because  Miss  Fiske  and  Miss  Rice 
have  succeeded  so  well,  an  unmarried  lady  from  this  coun- 
try has  nothing  to  do  but  to  go  there  and  work  like  any 
one  else.  This  is  not  true ;  such  a  one  cannot  live  by 
herself;  her  home  must  be  in  some  missionary  family.  She 
cannot  go  out  alone,  either  inside  or  outside  of  the  city. 
In  many  things  she  needs  to  be  shielded  from  annoyances 
here  unknown.  And  God  j>rovided  all  that  the  teachers 
of  the  Seminaiy  needed  of  such  help;  first,  in  the  kind 
family  of  Mr.  Stocking,  and,  after  his  death,  in  the  pleasant 
household  of  Mr.  Breath.  Indeed,  not  one  of  all  the  mis- 
sionary circle  ever  stood  in  need  of  such  a  hint  as  Paul 
gave  the  church  at  Rome  concerning  the  deaconess  of 
Cenchrea.  As  Miss  Fiske  says,  playfully,  "Whenever  we 
went  with  them  to  visit  joupils  at  a  distance,  they  always 
made  us  believe  that  it  was  a  great  privilege  to  take  us 
along ; "  and  every  lady  who  goes  out,  in  a  similar  way,  to 
labor  in  the  missionary  field,  will  find  just  such  Christian 
kindness  indispensable  to  her  comfort  and  usefulness.  In 
such  a  sphere  of  action,  a  lady's  dependence  is  her  in- 
dependence. 

Another  difficulty  was  the  want  of  books.     Such  a  thing 


BEGINNINGS..  55 

as  a  school  book  had  been  unknown  among  the  Nestorians. 
The  only  ones  to  be  had  in  1843  were  the  Bible  in  ancient 
Syriac,  —  a  language  unintelligible  to  the  common  people, 
—  and  the  Gospel  of  John,  with  a  few  chapters  of  Genesis, 
in  the  spoken  language,  besides  a  few  tracts.  Later  came 
the  Gospel  of  Matthew,  and,  after  that,  the  four  Gospels. 
Mr.  Stocking  prepared  a  Spelling  Book  of  fifty-four  pages, 
8vo,  a  Mental  Arithmetic  of  twenty-four  pages,  and  after- 
wards a  larger  Arithmetic.  Mr.  Coan,  a  Scripture  Spelling 
Book  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  pages,  8vo.  Mr.  Stoddard 
issued  a  very  full  and  complete  Arithmetic  for  the  older 
scholars  in  1856,  but  his  System  of  Theology  did  not  appear 
till  after  his  decease,  in  1857.  Dr.  Wright  was  the  author 
of  a  Geography  of  three  hundred  and  two  pages,  printed 
in  1849.  Mr.  Cochran's  Scripture  Geography  appeared  in 
1856,  and  Barth's  Church  History  was  published  the  same 
year.  But  the  book  studied  more  than  all  others,  and 
most  efficient  in  enlightening  and  elevating  the  people,  was 
the  Bible,  of  which  the  New  Testament  appeared  in  1846, 
and  the  Old  in  1852.  As  many  as  three  hours  a  day  were 
devoted  to  that ;  and  no  recollections  of  missionary  educa- 
tion in  Persia  are  so  pleasant  as  those  of  the  Bible  lessons. 
The  pupils  have  pleasant  memorials  of  some  of  them  in  the 
form  of  Bible  maps,  drawn  by  themselves,  which  now  form 
a  conspicuous  and  appropriate  ornament  of  their  homes. 

It  may  seem  to  some  as  though  so  much  study  of  the 
Bible  would  make  the  pupils  weary  of  its  sacred  pages; 
but  precisely  the  contrary  was  true.  "When  the  New  Tes- 
tament, shortly  after  it  was  printed,  was  offered  to  those 
who,  during  recreation  hours,  would  commit  to  memory  the 
Scripture  Catechism,  containing  more  than  one  thousand 
texts,  some  learned  it  in  three  weeks,  and  others  in  a  longer 
time;  and  their  joy  in  receiving  the  reward  could  hardly 


56  WOMAN   AND   HER  SAVIOUR. 

be  expressed.  It  was  near  the  close  of  the  term,  and  some 
who  had  not  quite  finished  when  vacation  began  remained 
to  complete  the  task;  for  they  said  they  could  not  go 
home  unless  they  carried  with  them  their  Testament; 
and  the  diligent  use  they  made  of  it  afterwards  showed 
that  their  desire  was  more  than  mere  covetousness.  Even 
eighteen  months  after,  writing  to  a  friend  in  America,  they 
say,  "  Now  we  have  each  of  us  this  blessed  book,  this  price- 
less blessing ;  would  that  in  it  we  might  all  find  salvation 
for  our  souls.  This  book  is  from  the  unspeakable  mercy  of 
God;  nor  can  we  ever  repay  our  dear  friends  for  it."  I 
cannot  forbear  quoting  here  the  closing  sentence  of  the 
letter — "Dear  friend,  the  gentle  love  of  the  Saviour  be 
with  you.     Amen." 


CHAPTER    VI. 

THE    SEMINARY. 

MAR    YOHANAN. STANDARD    OF  SCHOLARSHIP. ENGLISH   BOOKS    READ 

IN    SYRIAC. —  EXPENSE. FEELINGS     OF     PARENTS. DOMESTIC     DE- 
PARTMENT.  DAILY      REPORTS. PICTURE      OF     A     'WEEK      DAY     AND 

SABBATH. "IF    YOU    LOVE    ME,  LEAN    HARD." ESLl's    JOURNAL. 

LETTER    FROM    PUPILS    TO    MOUNT    HOLYOKE    SEMINARY. FROM    THE 

SAME    TO    MRS.    C.    T.    MILLS. 

When  Mar  Yohanan  returned  to  Persia  after  his  visit 
to  the  United  States,  in  1843,  Prince  Malik  Kassim  Meerza, 
who  could  sj)eak  a  little  English,  asked  him,  "What  are 
the*  wonders  of  America?"  He  replied,  "The  blind  they 
do  see,  the  deaf  they  do  hear,  and  the  women  they  do 
read ;  they  be  not  beasts."  Having  visited  Mount  Holyoke 
Seminary,  he  often  said,  "Of  all  colleges  in  America, 
Mount  Holy  Oke  be  the  best ;  and  when  I  see  such  a  school 
here,  I  die ; "  meaning  that  then  he  would  be  ready  to  die. 
When  he  brought  her  first  boarding  scholars  to  Miss  Fiske, 
he  said,  "  Now  you  begin  Mount  Holy  Oke  in  Persia." 

As  she  sought  to  reproduce  one  of  our  female  semina- 
ries, as  far  as  was  possible  in  such  different  circumstances, 
it  seems  fitting  to  enter  somewhat  into  the  minutiae  of  its 
arrangements. 

Resemblance  to  similar  institutions  at  home  is  not  as  yet 
to  be  sought  in  the  standard  of  scholarship,  though  that  is 
rapidly  advancing.  In  an  unevangelized  community,  the 
people  move  on  a  lower  level.     Not  only  social  condition, 

(57) 


58  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

but  morality  and  education,  feel  the  want  of  the  elevating 
influence  of  the  gospel.  A  seminary  that  commences 
operations  by  teaching  the  alphabet  must  advance  far,  and 
climb  high,  before  its  graduates  will  stand  on  a  level  with 
those  whose  pupils  were  familiar  with  elementary  algebra 
when  they  entered ;  yet  its  course  of  study  may  be  the  best 
to  secure  the  usefulness  of  its  members  in  their  own  com- 
munity. If  ragged  village  girls,  untutored  and  uncombed, 
studying  aloud  in  school  hours,  and  at  recess  leaping  over 
the  benches  like  wild  goats,  now  study  diligently  and  in 
silence,  move  gently,  and  are  respectful  to  their  teachers 
and  kind  to  each  other,  a  thorough  foundation  has  been 
laid ;  and  if,  in  addition  to  that,  the  literary  attainments  of 
the  lower  classes  to-day  exceed  those  of  the  pupils  who 
first  left  the  school,  the  superstructure  rises  at  once  beauti- 
fully and  securely. 

Leaving  out  the  Bible,  —  which  has  been  already  spoken 
of,  —  to  the  original  reading,  writing,  singing,  and  compo- 
sition ;  have  been  added  by  degrees,  grammar1,  geography, 
arithmetic,  and  theology;  with  oral  instruction  in  phys- 
iology, chemistry,  natural  philosophy,  and  astronomy. 

But  we  should  neither  understand  the  attainments  of 
the  pupils,  nor  the  source  of  their  marked  ability  as  writers, 
did  we  not  notice  that,  as  a  reward  for  good  conduct 
during  the  day,  their  teacher  was  accustomed  to  translate 
orally  to  them,  at  its  close,  at  first  simple  stories,  and  then 
such  volumes  as  Paradise  Lost,  The  Course  of  Time,  and 
Edwards's  History  of  Redemption.  To  these  were  added 
such  practical  works  as  Pike's  Persuasives  to  Early  Piety, 
Pastor's  Sketches,  and  Christ  a  Friend;  and  the  pupils 
understood  books  a  great  deal  better  in  the  free  translations 
thus  given,  than  in  the  more  exact  renderings  issued  from 
the  press.     Baxter's   Saints'   Rest,   poured   thus   hot   and 


THE    SEMINARY.  59 

glowing  into  a  Syriac  mould,  was  more  effective,  at  least 
for  the  time,  than  the  same  after  it  had  cooled  and  been 
laboriously  filed  into  fidelity  to  the  original. 

The  Seminary  was  unlike  similar  schools  at  home  in  the 
matter  of  expense.  In  1853,  the  cost  for  each  pupil  was 
only  about  eighteen  dollars  for  the  year,  including  rent, 
board,  fuel,  lights,  and  clothing  in  part ;  and  as  this  was 
paid  by  the  American  Board,  education  to  the  people  was 
without  money  and  without  price.  We  have  already 
alluded  to  the  efforts  of  the  teachers  to  train  up  the  people 
to  assume  this  expense  themselves. 

Let  us  now  trace  the  progress  made  in  getting  the  pupils 
away  from  the  evil  influences  of  their  Persian  homes.  In 
1843,  besides  her  six  boarding  pupils,  Miss  Fiske  had  a  few 
day  scholars ;  next  year  she  had  still  fewer ;  and  the  year 
after  that,  they  were  dropped  entirely.  Many  wished  to 
send  their  daughters  in  this  way ;  but  she  was  decided  in 
her  refusal  to  receive  them,  because  thus  only  could  the 
highest  good  of  the  pupils  be  secured.  At  first,  so  great 
was  her  dread  of  home  influences,  that  she  sought  to  retain 
them  even  in  vacation ;  but  she  soon  saw  that  their  health 
and  usefulness,  their  sympathy  with  the  people,  and  the 
confidence  of  the  people  in  them,  required  them  to  spend  a 
part  of  the  year  at  home.  This  also  gave  their  teachers  a 
good  opportunity  to  become  acquainted  with  their  friends 
and  neighbors,  and  a  door  was  opened  for  many  delightful 
meetings  with  women,  in  which  the  pupils  rendered  much 
assistance.  It  also  secured  the  influence  of  the  parents  in 
favor  of  what  was  for  the  good  of  their  daughters,  and 
made  them  interested  in  the  school.  During  Miss  Fiske's 
entire  residence  in  Persia,  fathers  rarely  disregarded  her 
wishes  concerning  their  daughters  in  her  school. 

The  only  time  that  the  teachers  were  ever  reviled  by 


60  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

a  Nestorian  father  was  in  the  case  of  a  village  priest.  He 
came  one  day  to  the  Seminary  to  see  bis  daughter,  and  be- 
cause she  did  not  appear  at  once,  —  she  was  engaged  at  the 
moment,  —  he  cursed  and  swore,  in  a  great  passion,  and 
when  she  did  come,  carried  her  home.  No  notice  was 
taken  of  it,  and  no  effort  made  to  get  her  back ;  but  three 
years  after,  the  first  indications  of  his  interest  in  religion 
were  deep  contrition  for  his  conduct  on  that  occasion,  and 
a  letter  full  of  grief  for  such  treatment  of  those  who  had 
come  so  far  to  tell  him  and  his  of  Jesus.  He  at  once  sent 
his  daughter  back,  and  three  weeks  after  she  too  came  to 
the  Saviour,  and  even  begged,  as  a  favor,  to  have  the  care 
of  the  rooms  of  the  teachers  her  father  had  reviled.  Since 
then,  the  priest  has  written  no  less  than  three  letters,  as  he 
says,  to  be  sure  that  so  great  wickedness  was  really  par- 
doned, it  seemed  to  him  so  unpardonable. 

The  circumstances  of  the  Seminary  required  a  domestic 
department.  It  was  difficult,  in  Persia,  to  have  girls  only 
ten  years  old  take  charge  of  household  affairs;  yet  a 
beginning  Avas  made ;  but  how  much  labor  of  love  and 
patience  of  hope  it  involved  cannot  be  told  to  those  who 
have  not  tried  it.  At  first,  their  one  hour  of  work  each 
day  was  more  of  a  hinderance  than  a  help ;  but  gradually, 
through  watchfulness  and  much  effort,  they  were  brought 
to  do  the  whole  without  the  least  interference  with  their 
regular  duties  in  school.  They  were  thus  trained  to  wait 
upon  themselves,  and  so  one  deeply  rooted  evil  of  Oriental 
life  was  corrected.  This  practice  also  relieved  the  school 
of  the  bad  influence  of  domestics,  while  it  prepared  the 
pupils  for  lives  of  contented  usefulness  among  a  people  so 
poor  as  the  Nestorians.  Besides,  in  this  way  they  acquired 
habits  of  regularity  and  punctuality  such  as  they  never 
saw  in  their  own  homes. 


THE   SEMINARY.  61 

But  while  these  Western  habits  were  inculcated,  such  of 
their  own  customs  as  were  harmless  were  left  untouched. 
They  were  carefully  taught  to  do  things  in  their  own  way, 
so  as  naturally  and  easily  to  fall  into  their  proper  place  at 
home. 

At  first,  in  their  daily  reports,  Miss  Fiske  dared  not  ask 
any  question  the  answer  to  which  she  could  not  ascertain 
for  herself.  The  earliest  she  ventured  to  put  was,  whether 
they  had  combed  their  hair  that  clay.  The  pupils  all  stood 
up,  and  those  who  had  attended  to  this  duty  were  asked 
to  sit  down.  The  faithful  ones  were  delighted  to  comply. 
The  others,  mortified  and  ashamed,  remained  standing; 
but  if  one  of  them  tried  to  sit  down,  a  glance  of  the  eye 
detected  her.  This  simple  method  laid  a  foundation  for 
truthfulness  and  self-respect;  and  from  this  the  teacher 
gradually  advanced  to  other  questions,  as  their  moral  sense 
became  able  to  bear  them,  till,  when  they  could  answer 
five  satisfactorily,  such  as,  "Have  you  all  your  knitting 
needles?"  "Were  you  at  prayers?"  " Were  you  late ? " 
—  things  that  could  be  ascertained  at  once,  —  they  thought 
themselves  wonderfully  good,  little  dreaming  how  much 
the  teacher  did  not  dare  to  ask,  lest  she  should  lead  them 
into  temptation.  After  the  first  revival,  she  could  ask 
abo\it  things  that  took  place  out  of  her  sight;  and  now 
this  exercise  is  conducted  in  the  same  way  as  in  our  best 
schools  at  home.  There  is  very  little  communication  now 
between  them  in  the  school  room.  In  1852,  there  were 
only  five  failures  on  this  point  for  four  months,  and  those 
by  new  scholars.  Dr.  Perkins  wrote,  that  year,  "  The 
exact  system  in  this  school,  and  the  order,  studiousness, 
good  conduct,  and  rapid  improvement  of  the  pupils,  in 
both  this  and  the  other  Seminary,  are  probably  unsurpassed 
in  any  schools  in  America." 
G 


62  WOMAN    AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 

In  reply  to  a  request  for  the  picture  of  a  day  in  the 
Seminary,  Miss  Fiske  writes,  in  18G2, — 

"  You  ask  for  a  day  of  my  life  in  Persia.  Come,  then,  to 
my  home  in  1854.  You  shall  he  waked  by  the  noise  of  a 
hand-bell  at  early  dawn :  twenty  minutes  after,  our  girls 
are  ready  for  their  half  hour  of  silent  devotion.  The  bell 
for  this  usually  finds  them  waiting  for  it,  and  the  perfect 
quiet  in  the  house  is  almost  unbroken.  At  the  close  of  it, 
another  bell  summons  us  to  the  school  room  for  family 
devotion,  where,  besides  reading  the  Scriptures  and  prayer, 
they  unite  in  singing  one  of  our  sweet  hymns.1  In  a  few 
minutes  after  this,  another  bell  calls  us  to  breakfast,  and, 
that  finished,  all  attend  to  their  morning  work.  Tables 
are  cleared,  rooms  put  in  order,  and  preparations  made  for 
supper — the  principal  meal  in  Persia;  then  for  an  hour 
they  study  silently  in  their  rooms.  At  a  quarter  before 
nine  o'clock  I  enter  the  school  room,  while  Miss  Rice  cares 
for  things  without.  We  open  school  with  prayer,  in  which 
we  carry  to  the  Master  more  of  our  little  cares  and  trials 
than  in  the  early  morning.  My  first  lesson  is  in  Daniel, 
with  the  older  pupils,  while  two  other  classes  go  out  to 
recite  in  another  room.  Yonan  stays  with  me,  for  I  want 
him  to  help  and  be  helped  in  these  Bible  lessons.  The 
class  enjoy  it  exceedingly,  and  the  forty  minutes  spent  on 
it  always  seem  too  short.  The  other  classes  now  come  in, 
and  all  study  or  recite  another  forty  minutes.  After  that, 
a  short  recess  in  the  yard  makes  all  fresh  again.  The  older 
classes  then  study,  while  one  of  the  younger  ones  has  a 
Bible  lesson  with  me  on  the  life  of  Christ.     Each  time  I 

1  At  first,  only  one  hymn  was  printed  on  a  separate  sheet;  then 
a  little  hymn  book  of  five,  —  as  many  as  Luther  commenced  with  at 
the  Reformation.  Now  the  hymn  book  contains  about  two  hundred 
hymns,  and  some  of  the  pupils  can  repeat  them  all. 


THE   SEMINAEY.  63 

go  over  it  with  them  I  find  things  which  I  wonder  I  had 
not  perceived  before.  It  is  delightful  to  hear  them  express 
their  own  thoughts  of  our  blessed  Saviour.  We  trace  his 
journeyings  on  maps  prepared  by  the  pupils,  and  they  study 
the  Scripture  geography  of  each  place.  After  this,  one 
class  recites  ancient  Syriac  to  Yonan,  and  another,  in 
physiology,  goes  out  to  Miss  Rice,  leaving  me  to  spend 
forty  minutes  with  the  older  girls  on  compositions.  At 
present  the  topic  is,  "  The  Christ  of  the  Old  Testament ; " 
and  I  am  thankful  that  I  studied  Edwards's  History  of 
Redemption  under  Miss  Lyon.  This  done,  fifteen  minutes 
remain  for  a  kind  of  general  exercise,  when  we  talk  over 
many  things ;  and  then  the  noon  recess  of  one  and  a  half 
hours  allows  the  girls  to  lunch,  see  friends,  and  recreate, 
till  fifteen  minutes  before  its  close,  when  they  have  a  prayer 
meeting  by  themselves. 

"  In  the  afternoon,  Miss  Rice  takes  charge  of  the  school, 
and  I  have  the  time  out.  At  present  the  first  hour  is  given 
to  writing;  soon  astronomy  will  take  its  place.  Recita- 
tions in  geography  follow  till  recess,  and  after  that  singing 
or  spelling.  The  last  hour,  I  go  in  and  hear  a  lesson  in 
Hebrews.  On  this  Epistle  we  have  full  notes  prepared  in 
Syriac,  and  we  study  it  carefully,  in  connection  with  the 
Old  Testament.  Miss  Rice  also  has  a  lesson  in  Judges, 
and  then  all  come  together  for  the  daily  reports,  more  as  a 
family  than  a  school.  There  is  still  an  hour  before  supper 
for  mutual  calls,  knitting,  sewing,  and  family  duties.  After 
supper  and  work  are  over,  and  they  have  had  a  little  time 
to  themselves,  come  evening  prayers.  Then  they  have  a 
short  study  hour  in  their  rooms,  followed  by  the  half  hour 
for  private  devotion,  which  closes  the  day. 

"  Of  course,  at  another  time,  the  studies  might  be  some- 
what different.     The  hours  that  Miss  Rice  and  I  are  out  of 


64  WOMAN   AND   HER  SAVIOUR. 

school  we  spend  in  seeing  visitors,  holding  prayer  meetings, 
going  out  among  the  women,  and  sometimes  devote  a 
whole  day  to  a  distant  village." 

Having  thus  looked  in  on  a  day  of  study,  let  us,  through 
the  same  glass,  take  a  view  of  the  Lord's  day.  The  letter 
is  dated  December,  1855. 

My  dear  Friend  :  I  have  learned  here  that  He  who 
fed  five  thousand  with  the  portion  of  five  can  feed  the 
soul  to  the  full  with  what  I  once  counted  only  crumbs. 
May  I  give  you  one  of  the  Master's  sermons?  A  few  Sab- 
baths ago,  I  went  to  Geog  Tapa  with  Mr.  Stoddard.  It 
was  afternoon,  and  I  was  seated  on  a  mat  in  the  middle 
of  the  earthen  floor  of  the  church.  I  had  already  at- 
tended Sabbath  school  and  a  prayer  meeting  with  my 
pupils,  and,  weary,  I  longed  for  rest.  It  seemed  as  if  I 
could  not  sit  without  support  through  the  service.  Then 
I  remembered  that  after  that  came  my  meeting  with  the 
women  readers  of  the  village  ;  and  O,  how  desirable  seemed 
rest !  But  God  sent  it  in  an  unexpected  way ;  for  a  wo- 
man came  and  seated  herself  directly  behind  me,  so  that  I 
could  lean  on  her,  and  invited  me  to  do  so.  I  declined ; 
but  she  drew  me  back,  saying,  "If  you  love  me,  lean  hard.1' 
Very  refreshing  was  that  support.  And  then  came  the 
Master's  own  voice,  repeating  the  words,  "If  you  love  me, 
lean  hard  ; "  and  I  leaned  on  him  too,  feeling  that,  through 
that  poor  woman,  he  had  preached  me  a  better  sermon 
than  I  could  have  heard  at  home.  I  was  rested  long 
before  the  services  were  through ;  then  I  spent  an  hour 
with  the  women,  and  after  sunset  rode  six  miles  to  my  own 
home.  I  wondered  that  I  was  not  weary  that  night  nor 
the  next  morning ;  and  I  have  rested  ever  since  on  those 
sweet  words,  "  If  you  love  me,  lean  hard." 


THE   SEMINARY.  65 

But  I  intended  to  tell  you  of  our  Sabbaths  in  school. 
Saturday  is  the  girls'  day  for  washing  and  mending,  and 
we  are  busy  all  day  long.  Just  before  sunset,  the  bell  calls 
us  to  the  school  room,  and  there  we  inquire  if  the  last 
stitch  is  taken,  and  the  rooms  are  all  in  order.  If  any 
thing  is  still  undone,  the  half  hour  before  supper  sees  it 
finished.  After  leaving  the  table,  every  thing  is  arranged 
for  the  morning,  and  then  we  have  a  quiet  half  hour  in  our 
rooms.  After  this,  half  the  pupils  come  to  Miss  Rice,  and 
half  to  me.  Each  has  a  prayer  meeting,  remembering 
the  absent  ones,  also  the  Female  Seminaries  in  Constanti- 
nople, South  Hadley  (Mass.),  and  Oxford  (Ohio).  All  retire 
from  these  precious  meetings  to  their  "  half  hour,"  as  they 
call  it,  and  before  nine  o'clock  all  is  quiet,  unless  it  be  the 
voice  of  some  one  still  pleading  with  her  God. 

The  first  bell,  Sabbath  morning,  is  at  half  past  five, 
when  all  rise  and  dress  for  the  day.  Morning  prayers  are 
at  half  past  six ;  then  comes  breakfast,  and,  our  few  morn- 
ing duties  being  done,  the  girls  retire  to  study  their  Sab- 
bath school  lessons,  and  sometimes  ask  to  meet  together 
for  prayer.  At  half  past  nine,  we  attend  Syriac  service  in 
the  chapel.  The  Sabbath  school  follows  that,  numbering 
now  about  two  hundred  pupils.  About  two  thirds  of  our 
scholars  are  teachers  in  it,  and  it  is  a  good  preparation  for 
teaching  in  their  homes.  Those  who  do  not  teach  form  a 
class.  We  then  go  home  to  lunch,  flavored  with  pleasant 
remembrances  and  familiar  explanations  of  the  morning 
service.  The  afternoon  service  commences  at  two  o'clock, 
and  our  Bible  lessons  an  hour  before  supper,  though  some 
are  called  earlier,  to  help  us  teach  the  women  who  come  in 
for  instruction.  At  supper,  all  are  allowed  to  ask  Bible 
questions,  and  before  leaving  the  table  we  have  evening- 
prayers.  At  seven  o'clock,  Miss  Rice  and  I  go  to  the 
6* 


66  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

English  prayer  meeting,  while  the  pupils  meet  in  six  or 
seven  family  meetings,  as  they  call  them,  the  inmates  of 
each  room  being  by  themselves,  and  the  pious  among  them 
taking  turns  in  conducting  them.  If  any  wish  to  come  to 
us  after  this,  we  are  glad  to  see  them ;  and  often  this  hour 
witnesses  the  submission  of  souls  to  God. 

Besides  these  there  is  a  weekly  prayer  meeting  on  Tues- 
day evening,  a  lecture  on  Friday  afternoon,  and  on 
Wednesday,  as  well  as  Sabbath  evening,  the  school  meets 
in  two  divisions  for  prayer. 

The  following  journal,  kept  during  the  revival,  in  1860, 
by  Esli,  an  assistant  teacher,  forms  an  appropriate  continua- 
tion of  this  interior  picture  of  the  Seminary  :  — 

"February  1st.  To-day,  a  part  of  the  girls  wrote  compo- 
sitions on  '  anger,'  and  a  part  on  '  the  gospel.' 

"  3<7,  Friday.  John  was  here  to-day  writing  to  Mount  Hol- 
yoke  Seminary,  and  attended  our  noon  prayer  meeting.  In 
the  afternoon,  Deacon  Joseph  of  Degala  preached  from  the 
words  "  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords."  In  the  evening, 
Mr.  Coan  sung  with  us,  and  we  read  the  weekly  report  of 
our  conduct. 

"  bth,  Sabbath.  In  the  forenoon,  Dr.  Wright  preached  from 
Acts  ii.  37.  He  said  that  we  must  know  what  sin  is ;  that 
we  are  sinners ;  and  that  we  cannot  save  ourselves.  In  the 
afternoon,  Priest  Eshoo  preached  from  Luke  xv.  32.  The 
evening  prayer  meetings  were  very  pleasant. 

"  9th.  A  blessed  morning.  Some  of  the  girls  are  thought- 
ful. This  was  seen  in  the  quiet  at  table  and  the  silence  in 
the  kitchen.  The  work  was  done  both  earlier  and  better 
than  usual.  During  the  study  hour,  the  voice  of  prayer 
sounded  very  sweetly  in  every  room.  When  the  girls 
walked  in  the  yard,  it  was  very  quiet,  and  so  when  they 


THE   SEMINARY.  67 

came  in.  Our  noon  prayer  meeting  was  very  pleasant ; 
Miss  Rice  said  a  few  words  on  the  shortness  of  time. 
While  Hanee  prayed,  some  wept.  When  Miss  Rice  dis- 
missed us,  no  one  moved ;  all  were  bowed  on  their  desks, 
weeping.  She  then  gave  opportunity  for  prayer,  and  while 
I  prayed,  all  were  in  tears.  The  girls  have  kept  all  the 
rules  well  to-day.  This  evening,  the  communicants  met 
with  Miss  Rice,  and  the  rest  with  Martha.  Miss  Rice  read 
about  Jonah  in  the  ship,  and  said  a  few  words ;  after  that, 
Raheel  the  teacher  prayed.  Then  Hanee  spoke  a  little  of 
her  own  state,  and  asked  us  to  pray  for  Raheel  of  Ardishai, 
who  is  thoughtful.  I  spoke,  and  asked  them  to  pray  for 
Hannah  and  Parangis,  who  are  in  my  room. 

"  10th.  The  state  of  our  school  is  the  same.  Mr.  Cochran 
preached  on  the  faithfulness  of  the  Jews  under  Nehemiah, 
when  they  rebuilt  Jerusalem.  After  meeting  he  told  us  that 
the  members  of  the  Male  Seminary  spent  yesterday  as  a  day 
of  fasting  and  prayer,  and  many  rose  confessing  their  sins. 
One  very  wicked  man,  also  from  the  village,  asked  them 
to  pray  for  him.  After  work  was  done  in  the  kitchen  this 
evening,  a  little  time  remained,  and  the  girls  there  asked 
to  have  a  meeting.  With  gladness  of  heart  I  knelt  and 
mingled  my  tears  with  theirs,  as  though  I,  too,  were  com- 
mencing the  work.  Afterwards  Mr.  Coan  came  and  sung 
with  us,  and  we  read  the  accounts  of  the  week." 

Esli,  the  writer  of  the  above,  is  the  daughter  of  Yohanan, 
a  pious  man  in  Geog  Tapa,  who  for  a  time  was  steward  of 
the  Seminary.  She  was  one  of  the  first  fruits  of  the  revival 
of  1856,  and  graduated  after  Miss  Fiske's  return  to  America. 
She  has  since  been  a  most  faithful  assistant  of  Miss  Rice, 
and  is  very  much  beloved  by  the  pious  Nestorians.  But 
the  following  letter  to  Miss  Fiske,  from  her  own  pen,  dated 
April,  1859,  will  form  her  best  introduction  to  the  reader:  — 


68  WOMAN   AND   HER  SAVIOUR. 

"  When  I  recall  your  love  to  me,  my  heart  is  full.  I 
remember  the  times  when  we  knelt  together  before  our 
Father  in  heaven,  in  godly  anguish  for  priceless  souls. 
Especially  do  I  remember  when  God  first  came  near  to  me, 
how  you  shared  my  sorrow  by  day  and  by  night,  and 
pointed  me  to  Him  who  bled  for  me.  After  you  brought 
me  to  Christ,  you  showed  me  the  helps  to  a  Christian  life ; 
that  I  must  pray  not  only  in  my  closet,  but  also  in  my  heart, 
when  at  work  or  studying,  that  God  would  keep  me.  O 
that  I  had  heeded  your  counsels  more ! 

"  This  winter  the  Lord  led  me  to  see  my  cold  state.  For 
a  time  the  Saviour's  face  was  hidden ;  then  it  seemed  to  be 
midnight;  but  I  looked  above,  and  the  darkness  fled.  I  saw 
him  standing  with  open  arms,  and  quickly  I  threw  myself 
into  those  arms.  Tears  of  joy  fell  from  my  eyes,  and  by 
the  grace  of  God  I  was  enabled  to  go  forward  day  by  day. 
Secret  prayer  has  since  been  very  pleasant  to  me. 

"  We  have  had  pleasant  seasons  of  prayer  in  our  school 
this  winter,  and  we  trust  that  some  souls  have  been  born 
again.  I  have  the  care  of  a  circle  of  girls  in  the  kitchen. 
They  work  well,  and  keep  it  clean.  I  think  you  know  that 
such  work  is  difficult,  but  if  you  were  to  come  in  you 
would  find  every  thing  in  order.  Every  Wednesday  we 
scour  all  the  shelves  and  the  doors. 

"  The  girls  have  made  the  yard  very  pleasant ;  but  one 
thing  is  wanting  there :  we  miss  you  at  the  cool  of  the  day, 
walking  in  it  to  See  if  any  evil  has  grown  up  in  your 
garden. 

"  I  went  to  my  village  in  vacation  ;  the  prayer  meetings 
there  were  very  pleasant,  and  I  enjoyed  much,  praying 
with  the  women  alone.  Our  seasons  of  family  devotion  also 
were  delightful.  In  the  morning  we  read  the  Acts  in 
course;    and  as  each   read    a   verse,  my  father  asked  its 


THE   SEMINARY.  69 

meaning.  "When  he  went  away  to  preach,  I  used  to  lead, 
and  we  then  read  the  portion  for  the  day,  in  the  book 
called  '  Green  Pastures  for  the  Lord's  Flock.' 

"  In  the  school  we  have  studied  Ezra,  in  connection  with 
Haggai  and  Zechariah,  and  are  now  in  Nehemiah.  In  the 
New  Testament  we  are  on  Paul's  third  journey,  and  have 
nearly  finished  Scripture  geography  and  theology." 

The  Seminary  keeps  up  a  Christian  intercourse  with 
the  institution  at  South  Hadley,  as  the  following  letters 
will  show ;  and  the  beautiful  melodeon  in  the  sitting  room 
is  a  tuneful  testimony  to  the  liberality  of  Holyoke's 
daughters. 

"Many  salutations  and  much  love  from  the  school  of 
Miss  Fiske  to  you,  our  dear  sisters  of  the  school  at  Mount 
Holyoke.  We  rejoice  that  there  is  such  a  great  institution 
full  of  holy  words  and  the  warm  love  of  Christ :  we  hear 
that  many  of  you  have  an  inheritance  above,  and  are 
daily  looking  forward  to  it.  We  want  to  tell  you  how 
glad  we  are  that  the  Holy  Spirit  has  come  among  you,  and 
that  God  has  turned  so  many  to  himself.  Though  we  are 
great  sinners,  we  rejoice  exceedingly  in  the  success  of  the 
work  of  God  in  every  place ;  and  we  beg  you  to  pray  that 
the  Holy  Spirit  may  visit  us  also,  and  our  people,  and  strike 
sharp  arrows  into  flinty  hearts,  that  they  may  melt  like  wax 
before  the  fire.  Blessed  be  God,  that  though  we  had  be- 
come the  least  of  all  nations,  and  adopted  many  customs 
worse  than  the  heathen,  and  our  holy  books  Avere  carefully 
laid  away  and  never  used,  yet  he  put  love  into  the  hearts 
of  his  servants,  that  they  should  come  to  this  dark  land. 
We  are  greatly  obliged  to  you  and  to  your  people  for  so 
kindly  sending  us  these  missionaries.  They  have  greatly 
multiplied  our  books,  and,  as  we  trust,  brought  many  souls 
to  Christ.     Some  of  us,  formerly,  knew  not  who   Christ 


70  WOMAN   AND  HER   SAVIOUR. 

was,  or  whether  a  Redeemer  had  died  for  us ;  but  now  he 
has  gathered  us  together  in  this  school  of  godly  instruc- 
tion ;  and  some  of  us  are  awaking  to  our  sins,  and  to  the 
great  love  God  has  shown  in  sending  his  Son  to  die  for 
us.  We  thank  God  very  much  that  we  know  Jesus  Christ, 
the  only  Saviour. 

"Again,  we  want  to  thank  you  for  sending. Miss  Fiske  to 
teach  us  the  way  of  life ;  we  love  her  because  she  greatly 
loves  us,  and  desires  our  salvation.  Every  day  she  takes 
much  trouble  that  we  may  be  the  daughters  of  God.  But 
her  burdens  are  so  great,  that  we  fear  she  will  not  remain 
long  with  us,  unless  some  one  comes  to  help  her.  And  now 
we  have  a  petition  to  present :  we  hear  that  in  many  of 
you  dwelleth  the  spirit  of  our  Master,  Jesus  Christ;  and 
that  you  are  ready  to  leave  home  and  friends,  and  go  to 
distant  lands,  to  gather  the  lost  sheep  of  Christ.  Dear 
sisters,  our  petition  is,  that  you  will  send  us  a  teacher.1 
We  shall  greatly  rejoice  if  one  comes,  and  will  love  her 
very  much.  We  ask  this,  not  because  we  do  not  love  Miss 
Fiske.  No  !  no !  this  is  not  in  our  hearts ;  but  she  is  weak, 
and  her  work  is  more  than  she  can  do  alone.  We  shall 
expect  one  to  come,  and  pray  God  to  bring  her  to  us  in 
safety. 

"  Please  remember  us  in  your  closets  and  in  your  meet- 
ings, and  ask  your  friends  to  pray  for  us  and  for  our  people. 
Farewell,  beloved  sisters." 

The  following  extracts  are  from  a  letter  written  by  them, 
in  1848,  to  Miss  Susan  L.  Tolman,  now  Mrs.  Cyrus  T.  Mills 
of  the  Sandwich  Islands,  and  formerly  of  Ceylon: — 

"  Much  love  from  the  members  of  the  Female  Seminary 
of  Oroomiah  to  you,  our  dear  Miss  Tolman.     We  are  very 

1  Miss  Mary  Susan  Rice,  already  mentioned  in  these  pages,  went  out 
this  same  year  (1847),  from  the  Seminary  in  South  Hadley. 


THE    SEMINARY.  71 

glad  to  find  one  who  loves  us  so  much,  and  prays  for  us. 
Our  delight  in  your  letter  was  greater  than  we  can  express. 
Miss  Fiske  came  in  joyfully  with  it  in  her  hand,  and  while 
she  read,  it  seemed  as  if  you  were  present,  inviting  and 
drawing  us  to  Christ. 

"Give  our  love  to  all  in  your  favored  school,  and  ask 
them  to  pray  for  us.  We  love  all  those  dear  ladies,  because 
they  have  been  so  kind  to  us,  and  have  been  willing  that 
Miss  Fiske  and  Miss  Rice  should  leave  them,  and  come 
here  for  our  sakes.  Though  they  were  dear  to  you,  we  think 
that  now  they  have  come  to  us,  your  joy  in  them  is  greater. 
We  hope  to  hear  of  many  of  you  carrying  the  leaves  of 
life  to  the  dark  corners  of  the  earth. 

"  Dear  Miss  Tolman,  you  said,  '  You  love  Miss  Fiske,  you 
must  also  love  Miss  Rice.'  Did  you  think  that  we  would 
not  love  her  ?  We  love  them  both,  not  only  for  leaving 
their  friends  to  come  to  us,  but  also  because  they  are  full 
of  the  love  of  our  dear  Redeemer. 

"  We  have  heard  that  you  are  going  to  India.  We  are 
glad,  and  love  you  more  for  it,  because  the  love  of  Christ 
constrains  you  to  this,  and  thus  in  spirit  you  come  very 
near  to  our  dear  teachers.  We  entreat  Almighty  God  to 
be  with  you,  and  bring  you  in  safety  to  the  place  he  ap- 
points for  you,  that  you  may  be  a  light  among  a  dark 
people.  We  hope  that  when  there  you  will  not  forget  us, 
but  write  us  about  your  work,  and  about  the  daughters  of 
India,  whether  they  love  you  much  or  not.  Tell  your 
friends  not  to  sorrow  for  you,  but  to  rejoice  that  they  have 
a  friend  ready  to  go  and  teach  those  who  know  not  Christ. 
The  Saviour  guide  you  in  all  your  labors." 

Those  who  aided  Miss  Lyon  to  cany  out  her  large- 
hearted  plans  in  New  England,  little  dreamed  that  offshoots 
from  the  vine  they  planted  would  so  soon  be  carried  to  the 


72  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

ends  of  the  earth.  Who  does  not  admire  that  grace  which, 
in  this  missionary  age,  raised  up  such  a  type  of  piety  to  be 
diffused  over  the  globe?  Doubtless  it  will  undergo  changes 
in  Persia,  as  it  has  done  already ;  but  the  devout  student 
of  Providence  will  watch  its  growth  with  interest,  and  its 
developments  will  not  disappoint  his  hopes. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

VACATION    SCENES. 

IN     GAWAR    AND     ISHTAZIN. VILLAGES     OF     MEMIKAN.  OOREYA,    DA- 

RAWE,    AND      SANAWAR. IN    GAVALAN.  ACCOMMODATIONS.  —  SAB- 
BATH   SCHOOL. 

To  the  interior  pictures  of  the  school  in  the  last  chapter 
we  add  some  vacation  scenes,  though  chronologically  in 
advance  of  other  things  yet  to  come. 

Towards  the  close  of  July,  1851,  Mr.  Stocking  and  fam- 
ily, with  Misses  Fiske  and  Rice,  and  several  native  helpers, 
spent  the  vacation  in  Gawar.  Mr.  Coan  accompanied 
them  on   his  way  to   regions   beyond.     Wandering  from 


place  to  place,  like  the  patriarchs  of  old,  they  pitched  their 
tents  at  first  near  the  village  of  Memikan.     A  sketch  of 

7  (73) 


74  WOMAN    AND   HER  SAVIOUR. 

these  tents  is  here  presented.  The  women  there  were 
frequent  visitors,  and  few  went  away  without  some  idea  of 
the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  The  pious  natives  were  un- 
wearied in  labor,  and  sometimes  woke  the  missionaries  in 
the  morning  with  prayer  for  the  people  round  about  them. 
On  the  Sabbath,  there  was  preaching  in  as  many  as  five 
different  villages,  and  after  morning  service  in  Memikan, 
the  women  came  to  the  tents  to  receive  more  particular 
instruction  from  their  own  sex.  In  the  evening,  a  mother 
who  had  buried  her  son  in  February  —  then  a  very  prom- 
ising member  of  the  Seminary  at  Seir1  —  brought  her 
youngest  daughter,  about  six  years  of  age,  saying,  "We 
give  her  to  you  in  the  place  of  Guwergis.  He  has  gone  to 
a  blessed  place.  You  led  him  there.  We  thank  you,  and 
now  intrust  to  you  our  little  daughter."  Eshoo,  the  father, 
spoke  of  his  departed  son  with  much  feeling,  but  most 
sweet  submission.  He  said  to  Miss  Fiske,  as  the  big  tears 
glistened  in  the  moonlight,  "  I  shall  not  be  here  long.  I 
shall  soon  rejoin  him.  My  hope  in  Jesus  grows  stronger 
every  day."  The  death  of  that  dear  son  was  not  only  a 
great  spiritual  blessing  to  him,  but  the  mere  mention  of  his 
name  at  once  secured  the  attention  of  the  villagers  to  any 
thing  the  missionaries  had  to  say  about  his  Saviour. 

On  Monday,  they  left  for  a  visit  to  the  Alpine  district  of 
Ishtazin.  Unable  to  take  horses  along  those  frightful 
paths,  they  rode  on  hardy  mules.  In  a  subsequent  journey 
over  the  same  road,  the  fastenings  of  Miss  Fiske's  saddle 
gave  way,  and  she  fell,  but  providentially  without  injury. 
Sometimes  they  climbed,  or,  more  hazardous  still,  de- 
scended, a  long,  steep  stairway  of  rock,  or  they  were  hid  in 
the  clouds  that  hung  around  the  higher  peaks  of  the  moun- 
tain.    Now  the  path  led  them  under  huge,  detached  rocks, 

1  Nestorian  Biography,  p.  127. 


VACATION   SCENES.  75 

that  seemed  asking  leave  to  overwhelm  them,  and  now 
under  the  solid  cliffs,  that  suggested  the  more  grateful  idea 
of  the  shadow  of  a  great  rock  in  a  weary  land.  Down  in 
the  valley  were  pleasant  waterfalls,  little  fields  rescued  by 
much  labor  from  the  surrounding  waste,  choice  fruits,  and 
such  a  variety  of  flowers,  that  it  seemed  as  if  spring, 
summer,  and  autumn  had  combined  to  supply  them.  Then, 
in  looking  up,  the  eye  rested  on  silver  threads  apparently 
hanging  down  from  far-off  summits,  but  really  foaming 
streams  dashing  headlong  down  the  rocks,  yet  so  distant 
that  no  sound  came  to  the  ear  from  their  roaring  waters. 

The  party  stopped  at  Ooreya,  on  one  of  its  flat  roofs, 
shaded  by  a  magnificent  walnut  tree.  The  villagers 
brought  mulberries,  apples,  and  other  fruits,  till  they  could 
prepare  something  more  substantial,  and  seemed  to  forget 
their  fears  of  the  patriarch  in  their  zealous  hospitality. 
After  supper,  all  adjourned  to  the  churchyard,  and  there, 
in  the  bright  moonlight,  a  crowd  of  eager  listeners  heard 
of  Christ,  and  redemption  through  his  precious  blood. 
The  silence  of  night  was  broken  only  by  the  voice  of  the 
preacher,  and  the  echoes  of  the  surrounding  cliffs  seemed 
to  repeat  joyfully  the  unwonted  sounds.  Yonan  preached 
from  the  words  "  Jesus  went  about  all  Galilee,  teaching  in 
their  synagogues,  and  preaching  the  gospel  of  the  king- 
dom." He  commenced  by  asking  whether  Christ  was 
right  in  so  doing.  They  replied,  "  Certainly  he  did  right." 
"  Yes,"  said  the  preacher,  "  and  as  he  did,  so  must  his  fol- 
lowers do;  and  you  must  expect  to  see  them  in  Ishtazin. 
When  we  cease  to  climb  over  these  precipices  to  come  to 
you,  fear  lest  we  have  become  Mussulmans,  for  Christians 
cannot  but  go  from  village  to  village  to  preach  the  gospel." 
The  reader  will  see  the  force  of  such  an  appeal,  when  he 
remembers  that  Mar  Shimon  had  forbidden  these  people 


76  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

to  receive  the  missionaries  because  they  preached.  This 
was  followed  by  a  statement  of  the  doctrines  that  Jesus 
preached,  in  which  he  did  not  fail  to  bring  out  the  essence 
of  the  gospel.  When  he  sat  down,  Khamis,  the  brother  of 
Deacon  Tamo,  followed  with  a  most  impassioned  exhorta- 
tion. The  missionaries  had  thought  him  a  good  preacher 
before,  but  the  place  and  the  circumstances  —  he  wns 
among  his  own  native  mountains  —  seemed  to  carry  him 
beyond  himself.  All  through  this  region,  the  people 
appeared  to  render  as  much  honor  to  him  as  they  would 
have  done  to  Mar  Shimon.  The  assembly  dispersed,  and 
the  travellers  lay  down  where  they  were,  to  battle  with  the 
sand-flies  till  the  welcome  dawn  lit  up  the  conspicuous 
summits  high  above  them. 

Almost  every  .moment  of  the  next  forenoon  was  filled  by 
personal  religious  conversation  with  many  who  never  heard 
such  truths  before.  In  the  evening,  even  more  fixed  atten- 
tion was  given  to  another  service  in  the  open  air,  at  the 
village  of  Boobawa,  for  the  pious  Mar  Ogen1  was  then 
living  there,  and  the  bright  light  of  his  piety  had  not 
shone  in  vain.  Several  were  earnestly  inquiring  how  to 
be  saved. 

On  Thursday,  the  day  after  their  return  to  Memikan,  Mr. 
Coan,  Priest  Dunkha,  Khamis,  and  Deacon  John  left  for 
Central  Koordistan,  and  Deacon  Isaac  went  to  Kochannes. 
But  though  the  laborers  were  fewer,  the  number  of  visitors 
continued  the  same.  Next  Sabbath,  besides  two  services, 
and  two  meetings  with  the  women  in  Memikan,  there  was 
preaching  in  three  other  villages.  In  Chardewar,  the  home 
of  Priest  Dunkha,  Miss  Fiske  found  his  daughter,  who  had 
come  with  them  from  Oroomiah,  already  full  of  work. 
She  had  just  dismissed  her  Sabbath  school,  and  was  read- 

1  Nestorian  Biography,  p.  267. 


VACATION    SCENES.  77 

ing  the  Bible  with  her  cousin,  the  village  priest,  who  did 
all  in  his  power  to  help  her,  both  in  her  school  through  the 
week,  and  her  meetings  with  the  women.  One  Sabbath, 
almost  every  woman  in  the  place  had  been  present,  as  was 
the  case  also  when  she  was  visited  by  Misses  Fiske  and  Rice, 
and  Sanum  said  that  she  could  not  ask  for  a  better  place  in 
which  to  work  for  Christ.  There  was  more  of  real  hunger 
for  the  truth  here  than  any  where  else  in  the  mountains. 

Leaving  Memikan,  the  travellers  removed  to  Darawe, 
the  village  described  on  page  21.  Here  they  could  scarcely 
get  permission  to  pitch  their  tent,  or  procure  provision  for 
themselves  and  horses ;  yet  even  in  such  a  place,  the  mani- 
festation of  Christian  love  was  not  without  fruit,  though 
many  bitterly  opposed  them  to  the  last.  The  neighboring 
villages  wondered  at  the  missionaries  going  there  at  all, 
and  still  more  at  their  being  able  to  remain. 

At  Keyat,  the  kindness  of  the  people,  and  pleasant  in- 
tercourse with  them,  were  all  the  more  grateful  for  the  con- 
trast with  what  had  gone  before.  Here  Miss  Fiske  met 
with  that  kind  reception  from  Mar  Shimon,  then  passing 
through  the  place,  described  on  page  159,  while  the  tent 
literally  flowed  with  milk  and  honey  furnished  by  the 
villagers,  whom  he  had  charged  to  take  good  care  of  their 
visitors. 

On  the  following  Sabbath,  Yonan  preached  to  a  congre- 
gation of  about  two  hundred,  at  Sanawar,  where  forty 
families  of  refugees  from  Saat  were  spending  the  summer. 
When  Miss  Fiske  and  Miss  Rice  visited  their  camp,  they 
found  a  number  of  temporary  huts  enclosing  a  circle, 
where  the  domestic  labors  of  spinning,  weaving,  and  cook- 
ing were  actively  going  on.  All  the  women  at  once  left 
their  work,  and  welcomed  their  visitors  with  every  mark  of 
confidence  and  gladness.  Some  of  them  had  heard  the 
7* 


78  WOMAN    AND    HER    SAYIOUR. 

gospel  from  the  missionaries  in  Mosul,  as  they  had  often 
spent  the  winter  near  there.  So  they  drank  in  every  word 
with  eagerness. 

The  ladies  were  delighted  with  their  visit,  esj^ecially 
with  a  widow,  who,  though  unable  to  read,  showed  unusual 
familiarity  with  the  Bible,  and,  as  they  hoped,  a  spiritual 
acquaintance  with  its  doctrines.  When  the  topic  of  our 
fallen  nature  was  mentioned,  "  Yes,"  said  she,  "  we  were  all 
shapen  in  iniquity,  as  David  testifies."  When  asked  if  she 
had  any  hope  of  being  saved  from  sin,  she  replied,  "  I  am 
very  far  from  God,  yet  my  only  hope  is  in  the  wounded 
side  of  Jesus  Christ.  If  penitently  I  stand  beneath  the 
blood  dropping  from  his  cross,  I  hope  that  my  sins,  though 
red  like  scarlet,  may  become  as  white  as  snow."  Her  views 
of  the  way  of  salvation  were  not  only  clear,  but  beauti- 
fully expressed.  It  was  exceedingly  refreshing,  in  that 
region  where  they  had  expected  only  darkness,  thus  to  find 
the  rays  of  light  struggling  through  from  their  associates 
in  another  mission ;  and  it  gave  a  delightful  foretaste  of  the 
time  when  the  voice  of  one  watchman  upon  those  moun- 
tain tops  should  reach  to  another,  "and  on  all  sides  the  eye 
behold  the  trophies  of  Immanuel.  It  was  with  feelings  of 
peculiar  interest  that  they  heard,  some  years  after,  that 
this  stranger  in  Sanawar,  but,  as  they  fondly  hoped,  their 
sister  in  Christ,  held  fast  her  confidence  in  his  grace  to  the 
end,  and  so  fell  asleep  in  Jesus. 

For  a  companion  picture  to  the  preceding,  we  turn  to 
the  summer  of  1852.  Mr.  Stocking  moved  out  to  Gavalan, 
the  native  place  of  Mar  Yohanan,  early  in  the  season,  and 
both  teachers  followed,  with  thirteen  of  their  pupils,  about 
the  middle  of  June.  The  village  lies  near  the  base  of  a 
range  of  mountains,  at  the  northern  end  of  the  plain  of 
Oroomiah,  forty  miles  distant  from  the  city.     On  the  east, 


VACATION   SCENES.  79 

the  blue  waters  of  the  lake  seem  to  touch  the  sky,  and 
stretch  away  to  the  south  in  quiet  loveliness.  Sometimes, 
when  reposing  in  the  gorgeous  light  of  sunset,  or  reflecting 
the  red  rays  of  the  full  moon,  they  remind  the  beholder 
of  the  "  sea  of  glass  mingled  with  fire "  revealed  to  the 
beloved  disciple.  The  breeze  from  the  lake,  in  the  long 
summer  days,  is  very  grateful,  and  the  evening  air  from  the 
mountains  makes  sleep  refreshing. 

Mar  Yohanan  gave  the  school  free  use  of  two  rooms  as 
long  as  it  remained.  In  the  court  yard  before  them  a  large 
tent  was  pitched,  that  served  for  dining  room,  dormitory, 
and  reception  room,  or  diwan  khaneh.  An  adjoining  house 
afforded  a  comfortable  recitation  room.  Here  the  regular 
routine  of  the  school  went  on,  and  while  men  from  the 
village  found  their  way  to  Mr.  Stocking's  at  the  hour  of 
evening  prayer,  women  also  came  to  the  school  room  at 
the  same  hour.  At  the  last  meeting  of  this  kind  before 
Miss  Fiske  returned  to  the  city,  nearly  forty  were  present, 
listening  with  quiet  attention  to  the  words  of  life.  On  the 
Sabbath,  the  sides  of  the  tent  were  lifted  outward  from 
the  bottom,  and  fastened  in  a  horizontal  position,  so  as  to 
admit  the  air  and  exclude  the  sun.  The  ground  beneath 
was  covered  with  mats,  and  formed  quite  a  pleasant  chapel. 
In  the  forenoon,  this  was  thronged  with  attentive  hearers. 
The  children  of  the  boys'  school  in  the  village  sat  close  to 
their  teacher.  The  members  of  the  girls'  school  could  be 
distinguished  from  their  playmates  by  the  greater  smooth- 
ness of  their  hair,  the  whiteness  of  their  faces,  and  general 
tidiness.  Among  the  old  men,  the  venerable  father  of  the 
bishop  was  very  conspicuous.  The  members  of  the  Sem- 
inary crowded  round  their  teachers  so  as  to  leave  more 
room  for  others,  and  still  all  could  not  get  under  the 
shadow   of  the  wings   of  the   tabernacle.     Mr.   Stocking 


80  WOMAN   AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 

preached  in  the  forenoon,  and  in  the  afternoon  the  people 
came  together  again  as  a  Sabbath  school.  Each  of  the 
pupils  of  the  Seminary  had  a  class  of  women  or  girls,  and 
seemed  to  learn  how  to  do  good  fister  than  ever  before. 
They  visited  them  at  their  houses  during  the  week;  they 
sought  out  the  absentees;  and  it  was  delightful  to  go  round 
the  school  and  note  the  interest  of  both  scholar  and  teacher. 
If  these  were  zealous  in  teaching,  those  were  no  less  so  in 
learning.  The  classes,  after  the  introductory  services, 
filled  every  available  corner  in  the  rooms,  the  tent,  the 
front  of  the  house,  and  even  sat  on  the  low  mud  wall 
of  the  court.  With  the  same  variety  of  character,  there 
was  greater  diversity  of  lessons  than  in  schools  at  home. 
Some  studied  the  Old  Testament,  and  some  the  New ; 
others  were  just  learning  to  read,  and  those  who  could  not 
read  at  all  were  taught  the  Scriptures  orally.  One  class  of 
Armenians  was  taught  in  Turkish. 

Matters  went  on  very  well  for  two  Sabbaths,  but  on  the 
third,  women  and  children  had  vanished.  What  was  the 
matter?  ■  It  had  been  reported  that  all  this  labor  was  only 
a  preparation  to  transport  them  to  America,  and  the  simple- 
minded  mothers  staid  away  with  their  children  in  great 
trepidation ;  but  visits  from  house  to  house,  during  the 
week,  dispelled  their  fears,  and  next  Sabbath  all  were  again 
in  their  places,  and  this  pleasant  labor  in  Gavalan  con- 
tinued till  September. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

EARLY  LABORS  FOR  WOMEN. 

FIRST     MEETINGS    WITH     THEM. FIRST    CONVERT.  FIRST     LESSONS. 

"WILD    WOMEN    OF   ARDISHAI. 

TiJe  teachers  of  the  Seminary  did  not  confine  their  labors 
to  its  inmates ;  they  expended  both  time  and  toil  for  adult 
women  as  well  as  for  their  daughters,  and  never  felt  that 
they  gave  them  too  large  a  proportion  of  their  labors.  At 
first  there  was  a  strong  feeling  among  most  of  the  women 
that  they  might  not  worship  God  along  with  deacons  and 
readers;  and  so  they  could  not  be  persuaded  to  attend  pub- 
lic preaching.  But  Miss  Fiske  found  that  a  few  would 
come  to  her  room  at  the  same  hour ;  so,  encouraged  by  her 
missionary  sisters  whose  hearts  were  in  the  work,  but  whose 
family  cares  prevented  their  doing  it  themselves,  she  visited 
the  women  at  their  houses,  to  urge  them  to  come  in.  Then, 
as  her  own  knowledge  of  the  language  was  as  yet  imperfect 
(this  was  in  1844),  and  she  wisely  judged  that  listening  to  a 
gentleman  would  sooner  prepare  them  to  come  in  to  the 
regular  service,  she  secured  one  of  the  missionary  bi'ethren 
to  conduct  the  meeting.  The  first  day  only  five  attended ; 
but  soon  she  enjoyed  the  sight  of  about  forty  mothers  listen- 
ing to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  On  the  third  Sabbath,  she 
was  struck  with  the  fixed  attention  of  one  of  them,  and,  on 
talking  with  her  alone,  found  her  deeply  convinced  of  sin. 
She  had  not  before  seen  one  who  did  not  feel  perfectly 

C81) 


82  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

prepared  to  die ;  but  this  one  groaned,  being  burdened,  and 
seemed  bowed  to  the  dust  with  the  sense  of  her  unwor- 
thiness.  When  Miss  Fiske  prayed  with  her,  she  repeated 
each  petition  in  a  whisper  after  her,  and  rose  from  her 
knees  covered  with  perspiration,  so  intensely  was  she 
moved :  her  life,  she  said,  had  been  one  of  rebellion  against 
God  ;  and  she  knew  that  no  prayers,  fasts,  or  other  outward 
observances,  had  benefited  her,  or  could  procure  forgiveness. 
In  this  state  of  mind  she  was  directed  to  Christ  and  his 
righteousness  as  her  only  hope  ;  and  though  for  some  time 
little  progress  was  apparent,  at  length,  as  she  herself  ex- 
pressed it,  "  I  was  praying,  and  the  Lord  poured  peace  into 
my  soul."  The  change  in  her  character  was  noticed  by  her 
neighbors.  From  being  one  of  the  most  turbulent  and 
disagreeable  of  the  women  in  her  vicinity,  she  became 
noted  for  her  gentleness  and  general  consistency.  She  has 
since  died,  and  her  last  days  were  full  of  a  sweet  trust  in 
her  Saviour.  She  was  the  first  inquirer  among  Nestorian 
women. 

This  meeting  was  given  up  as  soon  as  the  women  found 
their  way  to  the  regular  service ;  but  ever  since  there  have 
been  separate  meetings  for  them  at  other  hours. 

Until  the  revival  in  1846,  those  who  conducted  these 
meetings  had  to  labor  alone,  for  there  were  none  of  the 
Nestorians  to  help  them.  Indeed,  Miss  Fiske  had  been 
in  Oroomiah  more  than  two  years,  before  women  came 
much  to  her  for  strictly  religious  conversation,  or  could  be 
induced  to  sit  down  to  the  study  of  the  Scriptures. 

Some  of  her  first  efforts  to  interest  them  in  the  Bible 
were  almost  amusing  in  the  difficulties  encountered,  and 
the  manner  in  which  they  were  overcome. 

She  would  seat  herself  among  them  on  the  earthen  floor, 
and  read  a  verse,  then  ask  questions  to  see  if  they  under- 


EARLY   LABORS   FOR   WOMEN.  83 

stood  it.  For  example :  after  reading  the  history  of  the 
creation  (for  she  began  at  the  beginning),  she  asked,  "Who 
was  the  first  man  ? "  Answer.  "  What  do  we  know  ?  we 
are  women;"  which  was  about  equivalent  in  English  to 
"  we  are  donkeys."  The  passage  was  read  again,  and  the 
question  repeated  with  no  better  success.  Then  she  told 
them,  Adam  was  the  first  man,  and  made  them  repeat  the 
name  Adam  over  and  over  till  they  remembered  it.  The 
next  question  was,  "What  does  it  mean?"  Here,  too, 
they  could  give  no  answer ;  not  because  they  did  not  know, 
for  the  word  was  in  common  use  among  them ;  but  they  had 
no  idea  that  they  could  answer,  and  so  they  did  not,  and 
were  perfectly  delighted  to  find  that  the  first  man  was 
called  red  earth,  because  he  was  made  of  it.  This  was 
enough  for  one  lesson.  It  set  them  to  thinking.  It  woke 
up  faculties  previously  dormant.  The  machinery  was  there, 
perfect  in  all  its  parts,  but  so  rusted  from  disuse,  that  it 
required  no  little  skill  and  patience  to  make  it  move  at  all ; 
but  the  least  movement  was  a  great  gain  ;  more  was  sure  to 
follow.  Another  lesson  would  take  up  Eve  (Syriac,  ITaioa, 
meaning  Life).  Miss  Fiske  would  begin  by  saying,  "Is 
not  that  a  pretty  name  ?  and  would  you  not  like  to  know 
that  you  had  a  great-great-grandmother  called  Life  f  Now, 
that  was  the  name  of  our  first  mother  —  both  yours  and 
mine."  It  was  interesting  to  notice  how  faces  previously 
stolid  would  light  up  with  animation  after  that,  if  the 
preacher  happened  to  repeat  the  name  of  our  first  parents, 
and  how  one  would  touch  another,  whispering  with  childish 
joy,  "Didn't  you  hear?    He  said  Adam." 

Such  were  the  women  who  came  to  the  Seminary  for 
instruction ;  but  the  teachers  also  went  forth  to  search  out 
the  no  less  besotted  females  in  the  villages ;  and,  as  a  coun- 
terpart  to   the   above,  we   present  an  account  of  labors 


84  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

among  the  wild  women  of  Ardishai,  a  village  twelve  miles 
south-east  from  Oroomiah. 

When  Miss  Fiske  had  been  in  Oroomiah  about  one  year, 
Mi-.  Stocking  proposed  a  visit  to  Ardishai.  So  the  horses 
were  brought  to  the  gate,  one  bearing  the  tent,  another 
the  baskets  containing  Mr.  Stocking's  children,  and  a  third 
miscellaneous  baggage ;  besides  the  saddle  horses.  The  first 
night,  the  tent  was  pitched  on  one  of  the  threshing  floors 
of  Geog  Tapa ;  but  as  American  ladies  were  a  novelty  in 
Ardishai,  the  party  there,  in  order  to  secure  a  little  quiet, 
had  to  pitch  their  tent  on  the  flat  roof  of  a  house.  It  was 
Miss  Fiske's  first  day  in  a  large  village,  and  she  became  so 
exhausted  by  talking  with  the  women,  that  she  can  never 
think  of  that  weary  Saturday  without  a  feeling  of  fatigue. 
As  the  village  is  near  the  lake,  the  swarms  of  mosquitoes 
allowed  them  no  rest  at  night ;  and  morning  again  brought 
the  crowd  with  its  idle  curiosity  as  unsatisfied  as  the  appe- 
tite of  more  diminutive  assailants.  About  nine  o'clock,  all 
went  to  the  church,  where  Mr.  Stocking  preached,  while  the 
women  sat  in  most  loving  proximity  to  their  strange  sisters, 
handling  and  commenting  on  their  dresses  during  the  dis- 
course. Mr.  Stocking  could  preach  though  others  talked, 
and  readily  raised  his  voice  so  as  to  be  heard  above  the 
rest.  At  the  close,  Priest  Abraham,  without  consulting  any 
one,  rose  and  announced  two  meetings  for  the  afternoon ; 
one  in  another  church  for  men,  and  a  second  in  this  for 
women,  who  must  all  come,  because  the  lady  from  the  new 
world  was  to  preach.  So  the  news  flew  through  the  neigh- 
boring villages.  The  good  lady  called  the  priest  to  account 
for  his  doings ;  but  he  replied,  "  I  knew  that  they  would 
come  if  I  said  that,  and  you  can  preach  very  well,  for  your 
girls  told  me  so."  He  was  greatly  disappointed,  however, 
when  he  found  that  his  notice  left  him  alone  to  preach  to 


EAELY  LABORS    FOR   WOMEN.  85 

the  men,  while  Mr.  Stocking  preached  to  some  six  hundred 
women,  with  half  as  many  children.  They  were  a  rude, 
noisy  company,  not  one  of  them  all  caring  for  the  truth ; 
and  there  was  no  moment  when  at  least  half  a  dozen  voices 
could  not  be  heard  besides  the  preacher's.  When  he 
closed,  as  many  as  twenty  cried  out,  "  Now  let  Miss  Fiske 
preach."  So  he  withdrew,  and  left  her  to  their  tender 
mercies.  Her  preaching  was  soon  finished.  She  simply 
told  them,  that  when  she  knew  their  language  better,  she 
would  come  and  talk  with  them,  but  she  could  not  talk  at 
the  same  time  that  they  did,  for  God  had  given  her  a  very 
small  voice,  and  her  words  would  no  more  mingle  with  theirs 
than  oil  and  water.  They  said,  "Oil  and  water  never 
mix ;  but  we  will  be  silent  if  you  will  come  and  preach." 
Months  passed  on,  and  she  again  visited  the  village.  The 
women  remembered  her  promise,  and  hundreds  came  to- 
gether ;  but  they  did  not  remember  to  be  silent.  As  soon 
as  she  began,  they  began  ;  and  if  she  asked  them  to  be  quiet, 
each  exhorted  her  neighbor,  at  the  top  of  her  voice,  to  be 
still ;  and  the  louder  the  uproar,  of  course  the  louder  the 
reproofs.  At  length  Miss  Fiske  said,  "  I  cannot  say  any 
more,  unless  you  all  put  your  fingers  on  your  mouths." 
All  the  fingers  went  up,  and  she  proceeded  :  "  I  have  a  good 
story  to  tell  you  ;  but  if  one  takes  her  finger  from  her  mouth, 
I  cannot  tell  it."  Instantly  muzzled  voices,  all  round  the 
church,  cried,  "  Be  still,  be  still,  so  that  we  can  hear  the 
story  !"  Some  minutes  elapsed,  and  the  four  hundred  women 
were  silent.  "Once  there  was  an  old  woman — I  did  not 
know  her,  nor  did  my  fivthei-,  and  I  think  my  grandfather 
did  not ;  but  he  told  me — "  Here  commenced  many  in- 
quiries about  said  grandfather;  but  again  the  fingers  were 
ordered  to  their  places,  and  their  owners  told  that  they 
should  hear  no  more  about  the  woman  if  they  talked  about 


86  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

the  grandfather.  "  Now,  this  woman  talked  in  meeting,  — 
I  should  think  she  must  have  been  a  relative  of  yours,  for 
ours  do  not  talk  in  meeting,  —  and  after  many  reproofs  she 
was  forbidden  to  go  to  church  any  more  if  she  continued 
to  do  so.  She  promised  very  faithfully ;  but,  poor  woman, 
she  could  not  be  still ;  then,  as  soon  as  she  heard  her  own 
Aoice,  she  cried  out,  ' O,  I  have  spoken  in  meeting.  What 
shall  I  do?  Why,  I  keep  speaking,  and  I  cannot  stop.' 
Now,  you  are  very  much  like  this  woman,  and  as  I  think  » 
you  cannot  stop,  I  must."  By  this  time  their  fingers  were 
pressed  closely  on  their  lips,  and  no  one  made  a  reply. 
Having  thus  secured  silence,  Miss  Fiske  took  the  New  Tes- 
tament, and  read  to  them  of  Mary,  who,  she  was  sure, 
never  talked  in  meeting ;  for  if  she  had,  Jesus  would  not 
have  loved  her  so  much.  She  talked  to  them  about 
fifteen  minutes  more,  and  prayed  with  them,  and  they  went 
away  very  still  and  thoughtful. 

Miss  Fiske  gave  this  account  to  the  writer,  with  no  idea 
that  he  would  print  it.  But  he  thinks  —  and  the  reader 
will  doubtless  agree  with  him  —  that  in  no  other  way 
could  he  convey  so  vivid  an  idea  of  woman  as  she  was  in 
Persia,  or  the  tact  needed  to  secure  a  first  hearing  for  the 
truth.  Miss  Fiske  was  often  called  to  deal  with  just  such 
rude  assemblages,  and  by  varied  methods  she  generally 
succeeded  in  securing  attention.  In  subsequent  visits  to 
Ardishai  the  number  of  hearers  was  never  again  so  large ; 
but  they  came  together  from  better  motives,  and,  as  we 
shall  see,  not  without  the  blessing  of  the  Lord.  In  March, 
1850,  Miss  Rice  met  nearly  three  hundred  women  in  the 
same  church,  some  of  them  awakened,  and  a  few  already 
hopefully  pious. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

FRUITS    OF    LABOR   IN   NESTORIAN    HOMES. 

USEFULNESS     AMONG     RELATIVES      OF     PUPILS.  DEACON     GUWERGIS. — 

REFORMED    DRUNKARD  AND    HIS    DAUGHTER. MATERNAL    MEETINGS. 

EARLY  INQUIRERS    FROM    GEOG    TAPA.  PARTING  ADDRESS    OF  MR. 

HOLLADAY.  —  VISIT    TO    GEOG    TAPA.  —  SELBY    AND    HER    CLOSET. 

Having  thus  glanced  at  early  labors  for  women  in  the 
Seminary  and  in  the  villages,  let  us  now  turn  to  another 
field  of  usefulness  among  the  relatives  of  the  pupils,  who 
came  to  visit  them  in  school ;  and  here  we  are  at  no  loss 
for  a  notable  illustration. 

In  the  autumn  of  1845,  Deacon  Guwergis,  of  Tergawer, 
—  and  almost  every  reader  was  either  priest  or  deacon,  — 
brought  his  oldest  daughter,  then  about  twelve  years  of 
age,  and  begged  for  her  admission  to  the  Seminary.  He 
was  known  as  one  of  the  vilest  and  most  defiantly  dis- 
solute of  the  Nestorians,  and  Miss  Fiske  shrunk  from 
receiving  the  daughter  of  such  a  man  into  her  flock.  Yet, 
on  the  ground  that,  like  her  Master,  she  was  sent  not  to 
the  righteous,  but  to  the  lost,  she  concluded  to  receive  her. 
Still  the  fither,  during  his  short  stay,  showed  such  a  spirit 
of  avarice  and  shameless  selfishness,  —  he  even  asked  for 
the  clothes  his  daughter  had  on  when  she  came,  —  that  she 
rejoiced  when  he  went  away. 

His  home  was  twenty-five  miles  off,  in  the  mountains, 
and  she  hoped  that  winter  snows  would  soon  shield  her 

(87) 


88  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

from  his  dreaded  visits.  Little  did  she  think  that  his  next 
coming  would  result  in  his  salvation.  In  February  he 
again  presented  himself  at  her  door  in  his  Koordish  cos- 
tume, gun,  dagger,  and  belt  of  ammunition  all  complete. 
He  came  on  Saturday,  when  many  of  the  pupils  were 
weeping  over  their  sins ;  and  the  teacher  could  not  but  feel 
that  the  wolf  had  too  truly  entered  the  fold.  He  ridiculed 
their  anxiety  for  salvation,  and  opposed  the  work  of  grace, 
in  his  own  reckless  way.  She  tried  to  guard  her  charge 
from  his  attacks  as  best  she  could ;  but  they  were  too 
divinely  convinced  of  sin  to  be  much  affected  by  what  he 
said.  His  own  daughter,  at  length,  distressed  at  his  con- 
duct, begged  him  to  go  alone  with  her  to  pray.  (The  win- 
dow on  the  right  of  the  central  door  of  the  Seminary 
points  out  the  place.)  He  mocked  and  jeered,  but  went, 
confident  in  his  power  to  cure  her  superstition.  "Do  you 
not  think  that  I  too  can  pray?"  And  he  repeated  over 
his  form  in  ancient  Syriac,  as  a  wizard  would  mutter  his 
incantation.  His  child  then  implored  mercy  for  her  own 
soul,  and  for  her  perishing  father,  as  a  daughter  might  be 
expected  to  do,  just  awakened  to  her  own  guilt  and  the 
preciousness  of  redemption.  As  he  heard  the  words 
"  Save,  O,  save  my  father,  going  down  to  destruction,"  he 
raised  his  clinched  hand  to  strike ;  but,  as  he  said  after- 
wards, "  God  held  me  back  from  it."  No  entreaties  of  his 
daughter  could  prevail  on  him  to  enter  the  place  of  prayer 
again  that  day. 

The  native  teacher,  Murad  Khan,  then  recently  con- 
verted, took  him  to  his  own  room,  and  reasoned  with  him 
till  late  at  night.  Sabbath  morning  found  him  not  only 
fixed  in  his  rebellion,  but  toiling  to  prevent  others  coming 
to  Christ.  At  noon  Miss  Fiske  went  to  the  room  where 
he  was.     (The  two  lower  windows  on  the  right   of  the 


FRUITS   OF   LABOR  IN   NESTORIAN   HOMES.  89 

engraving  of  the  Seminary  mark  the  place.)  He  sat  in  the 
only  chair  there,  and  never  offered  her  a  seat;  so  she  stood 
by  him,  and  tried  to  talk ;  but  he  sternly  repelled  every 
attempt  to  speak  of  Jesus.  She  then  took  his  hand,  and 
said,  "Deacon  Guwergis,  I  see  you  do  not  wish  me  to 
speak  with  you,  and  I  promise  you  that  I  will  never  do  it 
again  unless  you  wish  it ;  but  pledge  me  one  thing :  when 
we  stand  together  in  judgment,  and  you  are  on  the  left 
hand,  as  you  must  be  if  you  go  on  in  your  present  course, 
promise  me  that  you  will  then  testify,  that  on  this  twenty- 
second  day  of  February,  1846,  you  were  warned  of  your 
danger."  He  gave  no  pledge,  but  a  weeping  voice  said, 
"Let  me  pray."  The  hand  was  withdrawn,  and  he  passed 
into  the  adjoining  room,  whence  soon  issued  a  low  voice, 
that  Miss  Fiske  could  hardly  yet  believe  was  prayer. 
The  bell  rung  for  meeting,  and  she  sent  her  precious  charge 
alone,  while  she  staid  to  watch  the  man  whose  previous 
character  and  conduct  led  her  to  fear  that  he  was  only 
feigning  penitence  in  order  to  plunder  the  premises  undis- 
turbed. She  staid  till  a  voice  seemed  to  say,  What  doest 
thou  here,  Elijah?  then  went  and  took  her  place  in  the 
chapel ;  soon  the  door  opened  again  very  gently,  and  Dea- 
con Guwergis  entered;  but  how  changed!  His  gun  and 
dagger  were  laid  aside  ;  the  folds  of  his  turban  had  fallen 
over  his  forehead  ;  his  hands  were  raised  to  his  face ;  and 
the  big  tears  fell  in  silence ;  he  sank  into  the  nearest  seat, 
and  laid  his  head  upon  the  desk.  After  Mr.  Stoddard  had 
pronounced  the  blessing,  Miss  Fiske  requested  Mr.  Stocking 
to  see  Deacon  Guwergis. 

He  took  him  to  his  study,  and  there,  in  bitterness  of 
soul,  the  recent  blasphemer  cried  out,  "  O  my  sins !  my 
sins !  they  are  higher  than  the  mountains  of  Jeloo." 
"  Yes,"  said  Mr.  Stocking,  "  but  if  the  fires  of  hell  could  be 


90  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

put  out,  you  would  not  be  troubled  —  would  you  ?  "  The 
strong  man  now  bowed  down  in  his  agony,  exclaiming, 
"  Sir,  even  if  there  were  no  hell,  I  could  not  bear  this  load 
of  sin.     I  could  not  live  as  I  have  lived." 

That  night  he  could  not  sleep.  In  the  morning,  Miss 
Fiske  begged  Mr.  Stoddard  to  see  him,  and  after  a 
short  interview  he  returned,  telling  her  that  the  dreaded 
Guwergis  was  sitting  at  the  feet  of  Jesus.  "My  great 
sins,"  and  "  My  great  Saviour,"  was  all  that  he  could  say. 
He  was  subdued  and  humble,  and  before  noon  left  for  his 
mountain  home,  saying,  as  he  left,  "  I  must  tell  my  friends 
and  neighbors  of  sin  and  of  Jesus."  Yet  he  trembled  in 
view  of  his  own  weakness,  and  the  temptations  that  might 
befall  him.  Nothing  was  heard  from  him  for  two  weeks, 
when  Priest  Eshoo  was  sent  to  his  village,  and  found  him 
in  his  own  house,  telling  his  friends  "  of  sin  and  of  Jesus." 
He  had  erected  the  family  altar,  and  at  that  moment  was 
surrounded  by  a  company  weeping  for  their  sins.  So 
changed  was  his  whole  character,  and  so  earnest  were  his 
exhortations,  that  for  a  time  some  looked  on  him  as  insane ; 
but  the  sight  of  his  meekness  and  forgiving  love  under 
despiteful  usage  amazed  them,  and  gave  them  an  idea  of 
vital  piety  they  never  had  before.  He  returned  to  Oroo- 
miah,  bringing  with  him  his  wife,  another  child,  and  brother, 
and  soon  found  his  way  to  Miss  Fiske's  room.  As  he 
opened  the  door,  she  stood  on  the  opposite  side ;  but  the 
tears  were  in  his  eyes,  and  extending  his  hand  as  he  ap- 
proached, he  said,  "  I  know  you  did  not  believe  me ;  but 
you  will  love  me  —  will  you  not  ?  "  And  she  did  love  him, 
and  wondered  at  her  own  want  of  faith.  In  a  few  days, 
he  was  able  to  tell  Mr.  Stocking,  with  holy  joy,  that  two 
of  his  brothers  were  anxiously  seeking  the  way  of  life. 
His  own   growth   in   grace   surprised  every  one,  and   his 


FRUITS   OF   LABOR   IN   NESTORIAN   HOMES.  91 

views  of  salvation  by  grace  were  remarkably  clear  and 
accurate. 

When  his  daughter  returned  to  school,  on  the  30th  of 
March,  she  was  accompanied  by  one  of  her  father's  broth- 
ers, who  seemed  to  have  cast  away  his  own  righteousness, 
and  to  rely  on  Christ  alone  for  pardon.  As  no  missionary 
had  conversed  with  him,  Mr.  Stocking  felt  desirous  to 
know  how  he  had  been  led  into  the  kingdom,  and  learned 
that  he  had  promised  Deacon  Guwergis  to  spend  the 
Sabbath  with  one  of  the  native  teachers  of  the  Female 
Seminary.  This  teacher  and  others  prayed  with  him,  till 
he  threw  away  his  dagger,  saying,  "I  have  no  more  use 
for  this,"  and  in  tears  cried  out,  "  What  shall  I  do  to  be 
saved  ?  "  He  gave  no  evidence  then  of  having  submitted 
to  Christ,  but  in  his  mountain  home  he  seemed  to  make  a 
full  surrender,  and  became  well  acquainted  with  the  mercy 
seat.  The  native  helpers  felt  that  he  was  moving  heaven- 
ward faster  than  themselves.  In  April,  it  was  found  that 
as  many  as  nine  persons  in  Hakkie,  the  village  of  Deacon 
Guwergis,  gave  evidence  of  regeneration,  five  of  them 
members  of  his  own  family ;  and  the  whole  village  listened 
to  the  truth  which  the  zealoiis  deacon  constantly  taught. 

He  always  remembered  the  school  as  his  spiritual  birth- 
place, and  ever  loved  to  pray  for  it.  Once,  when  rising 
from  his  knees  in  the  Male  Seminary,  where  he  had  been 
leading  in  evening  devotion,  he  exclaimed,  "  O  God,  forgive 
me.  I  forgot  to  pray  for  Miss  Fiske's  school."  So  he  knelt 
again  and  prayed  for  it.  And  Mr.  Stoddard  said  he  did 
not  think  there  was  a  smile  on  a  single  face,  it  was  done 
with  such  manifest  simplicity  and  godly  sincerity. 

In  June,  1845,  Miss  Fiske  visited  Hakkie  with  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Stocking.  It  was  the  first  time  ladies  had  been  in  the 
mountains,  and  the  good   deacon   was   greatly  delighted. 


92 


WOMAN    AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 


Labors  were  then  commenced  for  females  there  that  have 
been  continued  ever  since.     The  annexed  sketch  will  give 


MISSIONARY    SCENE    IN    TERGAAVER. 


a  more  vivid  idea  of  the  nature  of  such  labors  than  the 
most  accui'ate  description.  One  day  the  party  was  toiling 
up  a  rough  ascent,  and  the  deacon,  as  much  at  home  among 
the  rocks  as  the  wild  goats,  offered  his  assistance.  The 
reply  was,  "  We  get  on  very  well."  At  once  his  eyes  filled, 
and  he  said,  "You  once  helped  me  in  a  worse  road;  may  I 
not  now  help  you  ?  "  And  his  aid  was  at  once  gratefully 
accepted.  At  the  top  of  the  hill,  while  the  party  rested, 
they  heard  his  voice  far  off  among  the  clefts  of  the  rocks, 
pleading  for  them  and  their  relatives  in  distant  America. 

After  his  conversion,  the  deacon  devoted  himself  to 
labors  for  souls,  especially  in  the  mountains.  One  might 
always  see  a  tear  and  a  smile  on  his  face,  and  he  was  ever 
ready,  as   at   first,  to   speak  "of  sin  and   of  Jesus."     He 


FRUITS   OF   LAROR  IN   NESTORIAN   HOMES.  93 

traversed  the  mountains  many  times  on  foot,  with  his 
Testament  and  hymn  book  in  his  knapsack.  In  the  rug- 
ged passes,  he  would  sing,  "Rock  of  Ages,  cleft  for  me," 
and  at  the  spring  by  the  wayside,  "There  is  a  fountain 
filled  with  blood  "  flowed  spontaneously  from  his  lips.  He 
warned  every  man,  night  and  day,  with  tears,  and  pointed 
them  to  Jesus  as  their  only  hope.  He  rested  from  his 
labors  March  12th,  1856,  and,  as  his  mind  wandered  in  the 
delirium  of  that  brain  fever,  he  dwelt  much  on  those  days 
when  he  first  learned  the  way  to  Christ.  He  would  say, 
"  O,  Miss  Fiske  was  right  when  she  pointed  out  that  way ; " 
and  then  he  would  shout,  "  Free  grace !  free  grace !  "  till  he 
sunk  away  unconscious.  Again  he  would  say,  "That  bless- 
ed Mr.  Stocking !  O,  it  was  free  grace."  These  were 
almost  his  last  words.  The  daughter  who  prayed  with  him 
that  first  Saturday  was  by  his  dying  bed,  and  her  voice  in 
prayer  was  the  last  earthly  sound  that  fell  upon  his  ear. 

It  may  strike  the  reader  as  strange  that  a  man  so  noto- 
rious for  wickedness  as  Deacon  Guwergis  was,  should  be 
allowed  in  the  Seminary ;  but  Oriental  notions  of  hospi- 
tality are  widely  different  from  ours ;  and  in  order  to  do 
good  to  a  people,  however  rude,  they  must  feel  that  you 
are  their  friend.  No  protection  from  government  can  take 
the  place  of  this  feeling  of  affectionate  confidence  from  the 
people ;  and  while  sufficient  help  was  at  hand  to  repel  any 
overly  wickedness,  the  highest  usefulness  required  thrt 
patient  love  should  have  its  perfect  Avork,  and  in  this  eare, 
at  least,  its  labor  was  not  unrewarded. 

The  usefulness  of  the  Seminary  among  the  relatives  of 
its  pupils  was  illustrated  in  another  case  that  occurred 
about  the  same  time.  March  2d,  1846,  the  father  of  one 
of  the  girls  called  and  inquired,  with  tears,  if  his  daughter 
was  troubled  for  her  sins.     Surprised  at  such  an  inquiry 


94  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

from  a  notorious  drunkard,  he  was  exhorted  to  seek  his 
own  salvation.  He  then  told  how  he  had  been  taught  the 
plague  of  his  own  heart,  and,  as  a  ruined  sinner,  was  cling- 
ing to  Christ  alone.  His  prayers  showed  that  he  was  no 
stranger  at  the  throne  of  grace.  Father  and  daughter 
spent  the  evening  mingling  their  supplications  and  tears 
before  the  mercy  seat.  The  daughter  had  given  more 
trouble  than  any  in  school,  and  several  times  had  almost 
been  sent  away.  Four  days  later,  her  mother  came,  and 
remained  several  days,  almost  the  whole  time  in  tears,  and 
hardly  speaking,  except  to  pray.  Her  daughter  and  the 
pious  members  of  the  school  were  unwilling  to  let  her  go 
till  she  came  to  Christ,  and  she  seemed  to  take  him  for  her 
Saviour  before  she  left.  She  was  a  sister  of  Priest  Abra- 
ham, and  had  been  so  exceedingly  clamorous  and  profane 
in  her  opposition  to  religion,  that  her  brother  had  for  years 
dreaded  to  see  her.  How  did  he  rejoice,  when,  instead  of 
the  customary  oath,  he  found  her  uttering  the  praises  of 
her  Saviour !  The  sister  of  her  husband  had  been  one  of 
the  vainest  of  the  vain,  wearing  an  amount  of  ornament 
unusual  even  for  a  Nestorian ;  but  she  no  sooner  put  on 
the  righteousness  of  Christ  than  she  sold  her  ornaments, 
and,  giving  the  proceeds  to  the  poor,  clothed  herself  with 
that  modest  apparel  which  becometh  women  professing 
godliness.  The  husband  himself,  though  an  illiterate  la- 
borer, preached  the  gospel  while  at  work  in  the  field,  and 
often  took  two  or  three  of  his  associates  aside  to  pray  with 
them,  and  to  tell  them  of  Christ  and  his  salvation. 

But  these  cases  must  suffice  :  we  can  only  indicate  the 
ways  in  which  the  school  became  a  centre  of  holy  influence, 
especially  for  woman;  but  it  is  impossible  to  narrate  all 
the  facts. 

After    the   revival,   the    Seminary   was    thronged   with 


FRUITS    OP   LABOR   IN    NESTORIAN    HOMES.  95 

visitors,  who  desired  the  time  to  he  tilled  up  with  religious 
instruction.  That  year  witnessed  a  rich  ingathering  of 
wives  and  mothers,  brought  by  their  converted  husbands 
and  children  to  be  taught  the  way  of  salvation.  The 
teacher  who  received  visitors  always  found  enough  to  do 
both  by  day  and  by  night.  As  soon  as  there  were  two  pray- 
ing women  in  a  village,  Miss  Fiske  and  Miss  Rice  sought 
to  establish  female  prayer  meetings  ;  and  when  they  visited 
a  village,  the  women  expected  to  be  called  together  for 
prayer ;  and  when  the  women  returned  the  visit,  they  each 
sought  to  be  prayed  and  conversed  with  alone.  This  was 
done  also  with  the  communicants  generally  three  times  a 
year.  The  prayers  and  remarks  of  the  pious  members  of 
the  school  often  gave  a  high  spiritual  tone  to  the  weekly 
prayer  meeting.  Occasionally  there  were  maternal  meet- 
ings ;  and  on  such  occasions  one  teacher  met  with  the  moth- 
ers, and  the  other  with  the  children  in  a  separate  room. 

These  took  the  place  of  the  early  meetings  with  women 
mentioned  in  the  beginning  of  the  chapter,  and  were 
very  useful. 

Nestorian  families  have  been  already  described  in  part, 
but  the  absence  of  the  religious  element  in  them  can  hardly 
be  realized  by  Christians  here.  They  did  not  believe  that 
a  child  was  possessed  of  a  soul  until  it  was  forty  days  old. 
This  belief  affected  all  their  feelings  towards  children,  and 
their  custom  of  burying  unbaptized  infants  outside  of  their 
cemeteries  did  not  serve  to  correct  such  impressions. 

Family  registers  were  unknown.  In  1835,  probably  not 
five  Nestorians  could  tell  their  birthday,  and  but  few  knew 
in  what  year  they  were  born.  Miss  Fiske  kept  a  list  of  all 
the  children,  which  was  read  at  every  meeting ;  but  at  first 
she  could  record  the  birth  of  only  the  very  youngest.  The 
deceased  children  were  written  down  in  a  separate  page, 


96  WOMAN   AND   HER  SAVIOUR. 

and  it  was  sad  to  see  how  much  they  exceeded  the  number 
of  the  living.  One  childless  mother,  who  had  buried  eleven, 
was  always  present ;  for  she  said  she  wanted  to  pray  for 
the  children  of  others,  though  her  own  were  not.  They 
assembled  in  Miss  Fiske's  room,  sometimes  to  the  number 
of  thirty,  with  such  of  their  little  ones  as  were  too  small  to 
attend  the  other  meeting,  and,  seated  on  the  floor  around 
her,  were  never  more  happy  than  when  telling  their  troubles, 
asking  questions,  and  receiving  instructions  about  family 
duties,  much  more  specific  than  could  be  given  on  other 
occasions.  Now  and  then  she  read  to  them,  from  Eng- 
lish books,  facts  and  truths  adapted  to  their  needs.  One 
good  man  in  Fairhaven,  Connecticut,  who  had  heard  of 
this,  sent  a  complete  set  of  the  Mother's  Magazine,  to  be 
used  in  that  way.  So  interested  were  they,  that  many  of 
them  walked  regularly  three  miles  and  back  again,  under  a 
burning  sun,  to  enjoy  these  gatherings ;  and  from  a  monthly, 
it  had  to  be  changed  to  a  weekly  meeting.  It  sometimes 
lasted  three  hours,  but  never  seemed  to  them  too  long ; 
and,  commenced  in  1850,  it  is  still  kept  up  with  as  much 
regularity  as  Miss  Rice's  many  other  duties  will  allow.  It 
would  be  interesting  to  dwell  on  its  results ;  but  a  single 
incident  may  suffice.  One  mother,  whose  husband  was  not 
a  Christian,  was  very  regular  in  private  devotion,  but 
thought  she  could  not  offer  prayer  in  the  family,  till  her 
husband  became  dangerously  sick,  when,  in  the  agony  of 
her  intercession  for  him,  she  vowed  that,  if  God  would 
spare  him,  she  would  establish  family  prayer.  So,  as  soon 
as  he  was  able  to  bear  it,  she  gathered  her  children  around 
his  bed,  and  after  they  had  read  the  first  chapter  of  Mat- 
thew, verse  about,  she  led  in  prayer,  and  so  went  on  read- 
ing the  New  Testament  in  the  morning  and  the  Old 
Testament  in  the  evening,  till  she  got  through  with  the 


FRUITS   OF  LABOR   IN   NESTORIAN   HOMES.  97 

whole  of  the  former,  before  any  one  of  the  missionaries 
knew  that  she  had  commenced. 

The  teachers  of  the  Seminary  enjoyed  very  much  the 
visits  of  the  early  inquirers  from  Geog  Tapa,  in  the  summer 
of  1845,  most  of  whom  became  hopefully  pious  the  follow- 
ing winter.  Let  us  look  in  on  one  visit  made  towards  the 
end  of  May.  A  pupil  announces  that  two  women  below, 
wish  to  see  Miss  Fiske ;  and  a  middle-aged  stranger  is  shown 
into  her  room.  In  answer  to  the  usual  inquiry,  "  From 
whence  do  you  come  ? "  she  replies,  "  I  have  come  from 
Geog  Tapa,  for  I  have  heard  that  you  have  repented,  and  I 
want  to  know  about  it."  She  has  walked  six  miles  on  pur- 
pose to  make  the  inquiry.  "I  wish  that  you,  too,  had 
repented,"  calls  forth  the  reply,  "  Alas,  I  have  not !  I  am  on 
my  way  to  destruction."  Feeling  that  the  Bible  was  the 
safest  guide  for  such  an  inquirer,  Miss  Fiske  reads  appro- 
priate portions,  explaining  as  she  reads.  The  visitor  shows 
a  great  deal  of  Bible  knowledge  for  one  who  cannot  read, 
indicating  that  she  had  not  been  inattentive  to  the  faithful 
instructions  of  Priest  Abraham  and  Deacon  John,  and  her 
questions  are  numerous  and  intensely  practical.  Among 
other  things,  she  asked,  "  Is  it  true,  that  for  one  sin  Adam 
and  Eve  were  cast  out  of  Eden?"  and  on  being  told  that 
it  was  so,  "There,"  said  she,  turning  to  the  unconcerned 
neighbor,  who  had  come  with  her,  "  do  you  hear  that  ? 
What  will  become  of  you  and  me,  who  have  sinned  so  of- 
ten ?  "  At  length  prayer  was  proposed,  to  which  she  eagerly 
and  tearfully  assented  ;  and  though  the  tongue  that  com- 
mended her  to  Jesus,  in  that  strange  language,  might  have 
faltered,  the  heart  did  not  share  in  the  embarrassment. 
The  woman,  like  the  first  inquirer,  repeated  every  word  of 
the  prayer  in  a  low  whisper,  as  though  unwilling  to  lose  a 
single  syllable.  The  conversation  was  then  resumed  till  it 
9 


98  WOMAN    AND    HER    SAVIOUR. 

was  interrupted  by  the  entrance  of  some  of  the  pupils  on 
business.  "Have  you  finished?"  was  the  woman's  eager 
inquiry.  "  I  wish  very  much  to  hear  more  of  these  things." 
Her  companion  now  begged  her  to  go  home.  "  No,"  was 
the  kind  reply;  "you  may  go,  but  I  must  stay  here  to 
prayers."  Evening  prayers  were  earlier  than  usual  that 
evening  for  her  sake,  but  still  she  fingered.  She  had  not 
yet  found  rest.  Selby,  one  of  Mrs.  Grant's  pupils,  then  in 
the  Seminary,  now  conversed  with  her;  and  as  there 
seemed  to  be  a  sympathy  between  them  (Selby  had 
recently  found  peace  in  believing),  they  were  left  by  them- 
selves. After  supper,  Selby  remained  with  her  an  hour  or 
more,  that  they  might  pray  together,  till  it  was  quite  dark, 
and  her  friends  had  sent  for  her  repeatedly.  She  left,  hav- 
ing first  begged  permission  to  come  in  to  morning  prayers. 
Morning  came,  and  before  sunrise  she  was  again  listening 
intently  to  the  reading  of  the  Word,  and,  after  devotions, 
left  for  home,  earnestly  begging  Miss  Fiske  to  come  and 
spend  a  week  in  Geog  Tapa. 

The  Seminary  was  dismissed  June  5th.  On  that  day, 
several  hundreds  of  the  parents  and  friends  of  the  pupils, 
in  both  Seminaries,  were  invited  to  a  simple  entertainment, 
got  up  in  native  style.  The  gentlemen  of  the  mission  ate 
in  one  room,  with  the  men  and  boys,  and  the  ladies  in 
another,  with  their  own  sex.  The  confidence  and  kind 
feeling  manifested  by  all  towards  the  school  was  very 
gratifying.  After  dinner,  the  whole  company,  seated  in  the 
court,  listened  to  an  address  from  Mr.  Holladay,  then  about 
to  return  home.  He  spoke  to  parents  and  children  on  their 
duties,  privileges,  and  responsibilities  :  towards  the  close, 
he  spoke  of  the  almost  certainty  of  never  meeting  them 
again  till  the  judgment,  and  bade  them  an  affectionate  fare- 
well.    His   utterance  was  often   choked,  and  his   hearers 


FRUITS   OF   LABOR   IN   NESTORIAN   HOMES.  99 

wept ;  and  well  they  might,  for  in  him  they  parted  with  a 
faithful  friend.  During  the  exercises,  the  members  of  the 
two  schools  sang  twice,  to  the  great  gratification  of  their 
friends. 

That  evening  most  of  the  pupils  went  home,  all  but  a 
few  of  the  girls  carrying  with  them  a  copy  of  the  four 
Gospels,  in  modern  Syriac,  which  they  had  paid  for  with 
their  needles. 

Miss  Fiske  left  for  Geog  Tapa  on  the  14th  of  June 
with  Mr.  Stocking,  reaching  that  place  as  the  people  were 
coming  out  from  evening  prayers  in  the  church.  The  first 
to  welcome  them  were  six  pupils,  residents  in  the  village, 
who  greeted  their  teacher  with  a  hearty  good  will.  Next 
to  them  came  Pareza,  the  inquirer,  changed  somewhat  in  her 
feelings,  but  with  no  loss  of  religious  interest.  John,  too, 
was  there  (the  native  pastor)  :  he  had  been  busy,  day  and 
night,  instructing  the  people,  and  had  taken  special  care  of 
the  pupils,  that  they  might  both  improve  themselves  and  ex- 
ert a  good  influence  on  others.  When  Mr.  Stocking  asked 
him  about  matters  in  the  village,  "  O  sir,"  said  he,  "  it  is  a 
very  good  time  here  now;  very  many  love  to  hear  the 
truth ;  their  hearts  are  very  open.  O  sir,  I  have  very  much 
hope!"  After  supper,  the  villagers  poured  into  the  room 
for  a  meeting,  to  the  number  of  one  hundred,  while  some 
thirty  or  forty  more  were  unable  to  get  in.  This  was  all 
the  more  welcome,  as  no  notice  whatever  had  been  given. 
It  was  a  clear  moonlight  evening,  and  the  groups  outside 
were  distinctly  visible,  through  the  latticed  side  of  the 
room.  John  commenced  with  an  earnest  prayer  for  a 
blessing  on  the  evening;  asking,  in  his  simplicity,  that 
"the  people  might  run  after  the  word  like  sheep  after 
salt" — a  strange  expression  to  us,  but  most  appropriate 
and   striking   there.     Fixed    attention   was   given   to  Mr. 


100  WOMAN  AND   HER  SAVIOUE'. 

Stocking's  discourse :  then  John,  who  feared  that  those 
around  the  door  had  not  been  fed,  spoke  to  them  of 
Zaccheus.  "The  crowd  about  him,"  said  he,  "did  not 
know  his  feelings ;  but  Jesus  knew  them,  and  loved  him ; 
and  so,  mothers  and  sisters"  —  they,  as  an  inferior  class, 
had  to  take  the  lowest  places  while  the  men  were  within  — 
"  if  you  have  come  here  to-night  with  a  broken  heart,  though 
we  have  not  seen  you,  Jesus  has."  He  then,  with  Miss 
Fiske's  pupils,  sung  a  hymn,  and  the  meeting  closed.  Still, 
many  women  lingered ;  some  sitting  down  by  Miss  Fiske, 
and  others  in  little  groups,  talking  over  what  they  had 
heard ;  very  different  from  previous  visits,  when  dress  and 
such  things  were  the  most  interesting  themes  of  conversa- 
tion. This  was  the  first  meeting  in  the  village  in  which 
the  missionaries  noticed  much  religious  interest. 

Early  in  the  morning,  Miss  Fiske's  pupils  were  gathered 
together  for  a  Bible  class.  The  women  soon  filled  the  room. 
The  exercise  continued  all  the  forenoon,  simply  because  it 
could  not  be  closed.  It  was  impossible  to  send  away  unfed 
those  who  hungered  for  the  word.  Among  the  women 
were  a  few  men,  one  of  them  the  husband  of  the  inquirer. 
He  was  asked,  "  Have  you  and  your  wife  chosen  the  good 
part?"  He  covered  his  face  for  a  moment;  the  tears  rolled 
down  his  cheeks;  and  then  he  said,  "By  the  grace  of  God, 
I  hope  we  have."     His  heart  was  too  full  to  say  more. 

Soon  after  noon,  Mr.  Stocking  preached  in  the  church, 
on  the  barren  fig  tree,  to  a  crowded  assembly.  The  heat 
and  the  multitude  made  the  place  very  uncomfortable,  but 
the  interest  deepened  till  the  close.  As  soon  as  they  were 
out  of  the  church,  many  women  crowded  around  Miss 
Fiske,  some  of  whom  she  could  look  on  as  truly  pious,  and 
more  as  thoughtful.  One,  who  was  the  first  to  be  awa- 
kened about  a  year  before,  seemed  now  a  growing  Christian. 


FRUITS   OF  LABOR  IN   NESTORIAN   HOMES.  101 

On  leaving,  she  said,  "  Perhaps  I  shall  not  see  you  again 
till  I  meet  you  in  heaven."  She  seemed  to  be  looking  for- 
ward with  humble  hope  to  a  sinless  home.  With  others, 
she  had  encountered  much  opposition  from  her  family  and 
friends.     She  has  since  entered  into  rest. 

.On  the  19th,  Selby  visited  Miss  Fiske,  and  in  answer  to 
a  question  about  a  place  for  private  devotion,  "O,  yes," 
said  she,  "there  is  a  deep  hole  under  our  house,  like  a 
cellar,  and  there  I  go  every  day  to  pray." 

A  brief  account  of  her  may  not  here  be  out  of  place. 
In  1830,  when  she  was  an  infant  in  her  mother's  arms,  the 
cholera  in  five  days  carried  her  father  and  five  of  his  house- 
hold to  the  grave.  In  1838,  she  was  one  of  the  first  pupils 
of  Mrs.  Grant.  She  learned  more  rapidly  than  the  rest, 
and  yet  was  so  amiable  that  she  was  loved  by  those  whom 
she  excelled.  Still,  she  was  a  stranger  to  God,  and  she  felt 
it.  When  thirteen  years  of  age,  her  brother  took  her  out 
of  school,  replying  to  her  earnest  pleadings,  to  be  allowed 
to  remain.  "You  have  been  there  already  too  long;"  At 
the  same  time  she  was  forced  to  marry  a  boy  twelve 
years  of  age,  with  whom  she  had  never  spoken.  For  days 
previously,  tears  were  her  meat  and  drink;  nor  was  she 
the  only  one  that  wept.  After  this,  the  missionaries  sel- 
dom saw  her,  till,  one  cold  Sabbath  in  the  winter  of 
1844-45,  a  girl  entered  the  chapel,  wrapped,  as  brides 
usually  are,  in  a  large,  white  sheet.  She  was  not  recog- 
nized, of  course,  till  her  mother  led  her  forward,  saying, 
"  I  have  brought  Selby  here  to-day  to  listen  to  the  words 
of  God ;  she  loves  them  and  you  very  much."  She  was 
feeble  and  much  depressed,  and  expressed  a  strong  desire  to 
return  to  school.  Her  father-in-law  consented  to  her  teach- 
ing in  the  primary  department,  on  condition  that  her  hus- 
band was  received  into  the  Boys'  Seminary,  which  was  done. 
9* 


102  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

She  now  manifested  much  interest  in  religion,  and  one  day- 
wept  much,  and  inclined  to  be  alone.  The  next  evening, 
she  went  to  Miss  Fiske,  distressed  with  a  sense  of  sin. 
Said  she,  "  I  have  lied,  and  stolen,  and  sworn ;  nor  that 
only,  but  have  lived  so  long  without  once  loving  my  kind, 
heavenly  Father !  When  I  felt  sadly  about  dying  at  home, 
I  thought  then  only  of  hell;  but  now  my  sins — O,  how 
many  they  are !  I  never  knew  before  that  I  was  such  a 
sinner."  The  next  day,  at  her  father-in-law's  request,  she 
Avas  to  spend  the  Sabbath  at  home.  She  was  very  loath 
to  go,  but  it  was  not  thought  best  to  try  to  retain  her,  and 
she  went.  There  she  found  neither  closet  nor  Christian 
friend,  and  the  house  was  full  of  guests  from  morning  till 
night,  whom  she  was  required  to  entertain.  Yet  in  the 
morning  she  returned  with  even  increased  interest  in  spir- 
itual things.  Said  she,  "Two  or  three  times  I  was  left 
alone  for  a  moment,  and  then  I  tried  to  commit  my  soul  to 
my  Saviour."  Those  few  moments  she  seemed  to  value 
above  all  price.  Not  long  after,  she  found  peace  in  Jesus, 
who  became  her  chosen  theme.  No  wonder  she  loved  to 
point  others  also  to  the  Lamb  of  God,  and  lead  them  to 
the  mercy  seat. 


CHAPTER    X. 

GEOG    TAPA. 

DEACON    MURAD    KHAN    IN    1846.  PENTECOSTAL    SABBATH     IN    1849.  

MEETINGS    IN    1850    AND    1854. EXTRACTS    FROM     JOURNAL     OF    YO- 

NAN    IN    1858. 

The  village  of  Geog  Tapa  is  so  prominent,  and  has  been 
so  largely  blessed,  that,  though  there  is  not  room  for  a  con- 
tinuous account  of  the  work  in  that  place,  we  here  give  a 
glimpse  of  its  progress  in  different  years. 

Deacon  Murad  Khan,  one  of  the  assistants  in  the  Semi- 
nary, and  a  native  of  the  place,  spent  some  Sabbaths  there 
in  May,  1846.  He  took  turns  with  the  other  native  teacher 
in  this,  going  Saturday,  and  returning  on  Monday.  He 
tells  us  that,  after  morning  prayers  in  the  church,  pious 
men  met  together  to  pray  for  a  blessing  on  the  day ;  twelve 
of  their  number  then  went  to  labor  in  other  villages,  the 
rest  remaining  to  work  at  home.  Passing  through  a  vine- 
yard, he  found  hidden  among  the  vines  a  youth  setting 
home  gospel  truth  to  a  group  of  others  about  his  own  age. 
At  their  request,  he  expounded  the  parable  of  the  ten  vir- 
gins to  them  till  it  was  time  for  forenoon  service;  then 
they  separated,  to  spend  a  few  moments  in  private  devo- 
tion before  entering  the  church. 

In  1849,  the  pious  men  of  the  village  divided  it  into  dis- 
tricts, and  visited  from  house  to  house  for  religious  conver- 
sation and  prayer.  Meetings  were  held  daily,  and  well 
attended.     The  most  abandoned  persons  were  hopefully 

(103) 


104  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

converted.  Crimes  committed  twenty-five  years  before 
were  confessed,  and  restitution  made.  One  Sabbath  in 
February,  Mr.  Stocking  and  Mar  Yohanan  found  a  large 
assembly  in  the  house  of  Mar  Elias,  listening  to  an  exhort- 
ation from  Priest  Abraham.  Mar  Yohanan,  who  had  not 
been  there  since  his  conversion  a  little  while  before,  was 
then  called  on,  and  spoke  of  himself  as  the  chief  of  sinners, 
having  led  more  souls  to  destruction  than  any  other  of  his 
people,  and  being  all  covered  with  their  blood.  In  regard 
to  his  flock  he  said,  the  fattest  he  had  eaten,  the  poorest  he 
had  cast  away,  the  lame  and  the  sick  he  had  neglected. 
He  begged  them  no  longer  to  look  to  their  bishops  for  sal- 
vation, but  to  repent  at  once  and  turn  to  God.  Priest 
Abraham,  then  recently  awakened,  also  made  a  humble 
confession  of  his  sins  as  their  priest,  and  besought  them, 
one  and  all,  to  attend  to  the  salvation  of  their  souls. 

In  the  afternoon,  the  church  was  crowded,  and  a  number, 
unable  to  gain  admission,  retired  to  a  school  room,  where  a 
meeting  was  conducted  by  a  member  of  the  Male  Sem- 
inary. In  the  church,  they  sung  the  hymn,  "  Come,  Holy 
Spirit,  heavenly  Dove."  Mar  Yohanan  offered  prayer,  and 
Mr.  Stocking  preached  from  the  text,  "  Now,  then,  we  are 
ambassadors  for  Christ,"  and  produced  a  very  deep  im- 
pression, which  was  increased  by  short  addresses  from  the 
bishop  and  others.  This  was  known  afterwards  by  the 
name  of  the  Pentecostal  Sabbath. 

In  1850,  those  previously  renewed  gained  new  light, 
and  those  whose  piety  was  doubtful  —  to  use  Deacon 
John's  broken  English,  —  were  "  very  much  firmed."  Miss 
Fiske  and  Miss  Rice  spent  a  day  in  the  village,  after  the 
close  of  their  spring  term,  and  had  delightful  intercourse 
with  about  twenty  women  hopefully  pious,  and  many  more 
inquirers.     In   the  evening,  supper  was  hurried  through, 


GEOG  TAPA.  105 

and  men,  women,  and  children  hastened  to  the  house  of 
the  pastor.  Mr.  Stocking  preached  there  to  a  crowded 
assembly  of  men,  while  the  teachers  adjourned  to  a  neigh- 
boring house,  to  meet  with  the  women.  Their  hearts  were 
full  at  meeting  so  many  for  whom  they  had  alternately 
hoped  and  feared,  now  sitting  in  heavenly  places  in  Christ 
Jesus  ;  they  remembered  seeing  their  first  penitential  tears, 
and  could  hardly  restrain  their  own  for  joy.  The  house  was 
full,  and  in  a  silence  interrupted  only  by  stifled  sobs,  they 
communed  together  concerning  Jesus  and  his  grace.  It 
seemed  as  though  God  perfected  praise  that  night  out  of 
the  mouths  of  babes,  by  keeping  them  perfectly  still  in 
their  mothers'  arms ;  and  as  the  pupils  of  the  Seminary 
belonging  to  the  village,  in  their  prayers,  laid  mothers, 
sisters,  and  friends  at  the  feet  of  Jesus,  the  place  seemed 
near  to  heaven.  Next  day,  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
attended  another  meeting,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  the 
teachers  could  tear  themselves  away.  One  of  the  pious 
mothers  could  not  bear  to  have  her  daughter,  recently  con- 
verted in  the  Seminary,  leave  her  sight;  and  more  than 
once  a  day  they  bowed  together  at  the  throne  of  grace. 
When  this  mother  met  Miss  Fiske  her  feelings  were  so 
intense  she  could  only  say,  "  Thank  God,"  over  and  over, 
and  weep.  Her  husband  was  moved  by  his  child's  anxiety 
for  his  salvation.  Once,  when  she  urged  him  to  pray,  he 
replied,  "  I  cannot ;  but  you  may  pray  for  me."  She  at 
once  knelt  and  interceded  for  him,  with  many  tears.  The 
gray-headed  man  knelt  also,  deeply  moved,  and  tears  flowed 
from  eyes  not  used  to  weep.  When  she  ceased  praying, 
she  rose ;  but  his  strength  was  gone ;  he  could  not  rise. 
Yet  the  love  of  the  world  was  strong  within  him,  and  it  is 
to  be  feared  that  he  resisted  the  Holy  Ghost. 

In  1854,  Miss  Fiske  found  about  sixty  families  maintain- 


106  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

ing  family  prayer,  and  hardly  a  family  in  which  there  was 
not  some  one  that  seemed  to  be  a  true  disciple.  John  held 
a  prayer  meeting  Sabbath  morning  with  those  whom  he 
sent  out,  two  and  two,  to  preach  in  the  neighboring  vil- 
lages, and  in  the  evening  they  reported  what  they  had 
done.  Sabbath  school  commenced  about  nine  o'clock,  and 
before  it  opened,  almost  all  were  reading  or  listening  to 
those  that  read ;  and  then  the  school  continued  in  session 
two  hours,  without  a  sign  of  weariness.  The  number 
wishing  to  learn  to  read  was  so  large  that  it  was  difficult  to 
provide  for  them.  Men  came  begging  good  teachers  for 
their  wives,  and  women  came  pleading  for  spelling  books 
for  their  husbands.  After  school,  at  their  own  request, 
Miss  Fiske  met  twenty-one  girls,  who  had  been  members  of 
her  school  (twenty  of  them  now  teachers  in  the  Sabbath 
school),  and  gave  them  a  word  of  counsel  and  encourage- 
ment in  their  work.  At  the  close  of  afternoon  service,  the 
women  who  could  read  staid  with  her  till  near  sunset,  they 
never  so  thankful  before,  and  she  never  more  thankful  to 
be  with   them. 

The  next  glimpse  we  take  of  Geog  Tapa  shall  be  from  a 
native  standpoint.  A  young  man  of  the  village,  possessed 
of  more  than  ordinary  abilities,  was  early  taken  into  the 
Male  Seminary.  His  influence  over  the  rest  was  so  great, 
and  so  decidedly  opposed  to  religion,  that  he  was  about  to 
be  sent  away,  when  grace  made  him  the  first  fruit  of  the 
revival  in  1846.  Yonan  (for  that  is  his  name)  was  a  teacher 
in  the  Female  Seminary  from  1848  till  1858,  and,  as  he  was 
generally  accustomed  to  spend  his  Sabbaths  in  his  native 
village,  on  Monday  morning  he  handed  in  to  Miss  Fiske  a 
written  report  of  the  labors  of  the  previous  day ;  and  from 
these  we  now  give  some  extracts:  — 

"January  11th,  1858.     I  had  a  pleasant  time  in  morning 


GEOG    TAPA.  107 

family  prayer,  at  which  several  young  jiersons  were  present. 
The  Sabbath  school  was  followed  by  a  meeting,  at  the  close 
of  which  I  returned  to  my  room  with  four  young  men.  I 
talked  with  them  about  two  hours,  first  about  comino;  to 
church,  —  for  they  attend  only  occasionally,  —  and  in  this 
they  promised  to  do  better.  I  then  questioned  until  I 
reached  their  inmost  souls.  I  asked  one,  '  What  is  the 
distance  between  you  and  God?'  'My  teacher,  there  is  a 
very  great  distance  between  us.'  'Is  it  God's  fault,  or 
yours?'  'It  is  mine.'  I  then  looked  on  another,  noted 
for  his  wickedness,  and  said,  '  Beloved,  did  not  Christ  come 
for  you  ?  His  stripes,  his  anguish,  his  crucifixion,  —  were 
they  not  for  you?  Why,  then,  treat  him  so  ill?  Has  he 
left  the  least  thing  undone  for  you?'  He  admitted  the 
truth,  but  seemed  like  a  rock.  At  length  I  said  to  them, 
'Now,  Satan  has  provided  something  or  somebody  outside 
the  door,  to  drive  these  thoughts  from  your  hearts/  One 
replied,  'True,  Satan  has  let  down  all  the  nets  of  the  Sea 
of  Ardishai l  for  us.'  I  prayed  for  them,  and  they  left  me, 
serious.  Then  I  prayed  for  them  alone.  Soon  my  little 
sister  Raheel  came  in,  who  is  under  Papal  influence.  I 
talked  with  her  about  prayer  to  the  saints,  and  opened  to 
the  ten  commandments,  and  began  to  read ;  but  she  did 
not  want  to  hear.  My  heart  yearned  over  my  poor  sister, 
and  I  prayed  with  her. 

"Moses  preached  in  the  afternoon  about  Achan,  and  after 
that  I  had  my  usual  meeting  with  the  pious  women.  Guly 
returned  with  me  for  conversation.  I  think  she  is  a  blessed 
Christian.  She  labors  and  prays  with  two  of  her  com- 
panions. She  told  how  her  cousin  ridiculed  her,  and  I 
encom-aged  her  to  go  forward,  but  said,  '  If  all  the  world 
think  you  a  Christian,  don't  rest  till  you  can  say,  '•  I  know 

1  Lake  of  Oroomiah. 


108  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

in  whom  I  have  believed." '  We  prayed  together,  and  O, 
what  a  prayer  she  offered !  Deacon  Siyad  led  the  evening 
meeting. 

'•'•January  2-ith.  After  morning  service,  I  took  Baba 
Khan  and  Guwergis  to  my  room.  The  first  I  had  labored 
with  last  year,  and  thought  him  interested.  His  wife  fears 
God,  and  has  often  asked  me  to  talk  with  him.  He  is  sel- 
dom absent  from  church  or  prayer  meeting,  and  often  goes 
out  with  our  young  men  when  they  preach.  This  was  my 
thought  in  talking  with  him :  '  Near  the  kingdom,  but  not 
in  it.'  I  earnestly  pressed  these  questions :  What  do  you 
think  of  yourself?  What  is  your  dependence  for  salva- 
tion? Have  you  repented?  In  short,  on  which  side  are 
you?  He  was  troubled;  tears  ran  down  his  cheeks,  and 
for  a  time  he  made  no  reply.  At  last  he  said,  'I  cannot 
tell.'-  A  companion  began  to  answer  for  him,  with  the 
confidence  of  ignorance,  judging  Christians  and  finding 
holes  in  the  coats  of  the  righteous  :  '  Who  knows  whether 
a  man  is  a  Christian?  God  alone.'  I  said,  'Are  there 
any  Christians  in  our  village?'  'Yes.'  'Then  you  know 
some  as  Christians  ? '  His  words  were  many,  while  Baba 
Khan's  were  few.  My  father  here  came  in,  but  I  pi*ayed 
with  them  all,  and  then  went  to  church,  where  I  preached 
from  the  words,  '  And  thou  mourn  at  the  last.' 

"  To-day  I  conversed  with  Sadee.  I  found  her  in  the  habit 
of  praying  with  her  sisters  in  Christ  one  by  one.  I  advised 
her  to  try  and  lead  some  of  her  unconverted  neighbors  to 
Christ  by  her  labors  and  prayers.  She  promised  to  do  so. 
We  spent  more  than  an  hour  speaking  the  language  of 
Canaan,  and  then  knelt  at  the  feet  of  the  Saviour  whom 
we  love.  She  prayed,  spreading  out  her  hands  to  heaven, 
as  I  think  the  early  saints  used  to  do ;  and  it  seemed  as 
though  God  would  fill  us  with  blessing  in  answer  to  that 


GEOG   TAPA.  109 

prayer.  She  left  me  alone,  and  thanking  God  for  these 
blessed  opportunities  to  labor. 

u  January  31st.  After  meeting,  conversed  with  Munny, 
daughter  of  Mukdesseh.  It  was  profitable  to  talk  with 
her.  She  said  that  her  sainted  mother  used  to  say,  "When 
my  heart  is  cold,  I  go  to  Christ,  and  never  rise  from  my 
knees  till  he  warms  it."  She  has  some  hope  for  her  hus- 
band, and  also  fear,  since  he  does  not  forsake  wine.  She 
told  of  a  woman  for  whom  she  had  prayed  and  labored  five 
or  six  years,  and  promised  to  do  so  with  others.  O,  what 
a  sweet  savor  of  piety  did  I  receive  from  her !  If  we  had 
many  such  mothers  in  Geog  Tapa  how  changed  it  would 
be!  I  cannot  write  all  our  pleasant  words;  they  remain 
for  eternity. 

"  February  7th.  I  took  home  from  Sabbath  school  two 
young  men,  for  whom  I  have  fears  because  they  drink  too 
much  wine.  I  talked  long  with  them,  not  as  though  I 
would  take  a  pledge  from  them,  or  that  it  is  a  sin  ever  to 
drink  at  all,  for  I  thought  this  would  not  be  profitable  ;  but 
I  asked  them  questions,  that  they  might  themselves  distin- 
guish what  is  right;  as,  'Does  wine  make  you  to  sin?' 
They  owned  that  it  did.  Their  hearts  seemed  won  to  the 
right,  but  the  work  is  the  Lord's.  May  he  save  them  from 
this  temptation. 

"  In  the  afternoon,  I  began  to  talk  with  Sanum  without 
feeling,  but  ended  in  tears.  I  did  not  ask  questions,  but 
carefully  explained  the  difficulties  and  the  fight  of  faith, 
also  the  special  grace  of  God  to  his  people.  When  I  said 
to  her,  'I  want  you  to  enlarge  your  heart,  and  take  in  one 
more  besides  the  two  women  whom  you  now  labor  with,' 
she  selected  a  very  ignorant  one.  I  am  afraid  that  I  do 
differently,  seeking  rather  an  easy  work. 

'-'•February  22c?.  This  afternoon  I  sent  for  Nargis,  I 
10 


110  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

had  never  thought  of  her  as  a  Christian,  but  I  found  that 
I  was  greatly  mistaken.  It  is  all  my  own  fault.  I  had 
seldom  met  her,  and  never  prayed  with  her.  I  com- 
menced:  'Do  you  think  yourself  a  Christian?'  'I  do.' 
'How  long  have  you  thought  so?'  'About  eight  years.' 
'How  is  it  that  I  have  not  known  it?'  'Yakob  was  my 
pastor,  and  since  he  left  I  have  had  none.'  Then  she  told 
of  her  awakening,  and  sufferings  for  Christ's  sake,  between 
her  betrothal  and  her  marriage.  '  I  used  to  go  to  evening 
meetings  with  Yakob,  and  on  my  return  my  uncle  would 
take  me  by  the  braids  of  my  hair  and  throw  me  on  the 
ground,  saying,  "You  go  because  there  are  young  men 
there."  Sometimes  I  found  the  door  barred* against  me; 
then  I  went  to  a  neighbor's  to  lodge,  or  oftener  to  the  stable, 
and  slept  in  a  manger ;  but  I  was  never  afraid,  for  Christ 
was  with  me :  for  a  time  my  betrothed  wished  to  put  me 
away.  It  was  then  I  found  Christ,  and  I  have  never  for- 
saken him  since.'  She  is  now  poor  and  in  distress.  She 
attends  church  and  Sabbath  school,  but  cannot  go  to 
evening  meeting,  as  her  two  little  children  keep  her  at 
home.  She  lamented  this,  not  thinking  that  she  could 
serve  Christ  in  the  care  of  these  little  ones.  I  told  her,  '  I 
preach  that  prayer  and  the  care  of  children  are  equally  a 
duty.'  She  was  greatly  comforted:  these  words  seemed 
like  oil  poured  into  the  flickering  lamp.  I  gave  her  the 
'  Green  Pastures,'  and  prayed  with  her.  I  have  great  con- 
fidence in  her  piety. 

"  On  Friday  forenoon,  I  saw  Martha,  the  wife  of  Eshoo. 
I  trust  she  has  grace  in  her  heart;  and  her  husband  hopes 
that  he  is  a  Christian,  but  looks  after  her  more  than  him- 
self. She  sees  him  not  doing  right,  and  tells  him  in  love; 
he  is  not  pleased.  Still,  she  thinks  him  a  Christian.  She 
wished   I  would   talk   to   them  together,  that  their  path 


GEOG   TAPA.  Ill 

might  be  one.  I  told  her  I  did  not  think  it  best  that 
she  should  talk  much  to  him,  but  be  very  quiet,  pray  for 
him,  be  obedient  to  him,  and  hope  to  win  him  by  her 
chaste  conversation  coupled  with  fear.  She  received  my 
words  well. 

'•'•February  2Sth.  I  talked  with  Moressa.  We  hoped, 
seven  or  eight  years  ago,  that  she  was  a  Christian ;  but  her 
husband  soon  prevented  her  attending  meeting,  and  so  she 
remained,  till  lately  she  came  to  church  again.  I  did  not 
know  that  one  of  the  sisters  in  Christ  had  prayed  regularly 
with  her  all  this  while,  but  supposed  that  she  had  gone 
back  to  her  dead  forms,  and  that  God  moved  me  to  call 
her  to  repentance.  But  I  found  her  trusting  that  she  had 
been  set  in  Christ's  breastplate,  the  light  of  which  can 
never  go  out.  I  said,  'Do  you  think  you  love  the  Sa- 
viour?' 'Yes,  as  the  apple  of  my  eye.'  'Are  you  sure 
that  you  have  not  forsaken  him  in  all  these  yeai*s?'  'I 
have  been  very  sinful  all  the  time,  but  do  not  think  I  have 
taken  my  hand  from  Christ.'  My  heart  was  now  drawn 
towards  her.  I  said,  '  Moressa,  forgive  me.  I  have  been  an 
unfaithful  shepherd.  I  have  not  once  searched  for  you.  I 
confess  my  faults.'  '  I  have  faults.  I  have  been  a  wander- 
ing sheep,  forsaking  the  fold.'  '  Have  you  kept  up  secret 
prayer  during  all  these  years?'  'I  have.'  I  found  that  she 
had  learned  to  read  at  home,  and  I  gave  her  a  Testament. 
I  have  a  good  hope  for  her ;  but  how  negligent  I  have 
been  !     There  may  be  many  Christians  unknown." 

These  extracts  might  be  extended;  but  enough  have 
been  given  to  illustrate  the  inner  workings  of  Nestorian 
piety,  and  the  labors  of  those  so  appropriately  called 
"native  helpers."  It  was  such  men  that  Paul  called  his 
helpers  in  Christ  Jesus. 

The  women  of  Geog  Tapa,  in  a  letter  to  Miss  Fiske, 


112  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

written  Feb.  1861,  thanking  her  for  her  labors  among  them, 
say,  "We  often  think,  "What  are  we  more  than  the  women 
of  other  nations,  that  we  should  have  such  heavenly  bles- 
sings ?  and  are  ready  to  cry,  Blessed  is  the  dust  of  the 
land  that  sends  forth  such  good  news,  and  makes  known 
the  way  of  life  to  the  world."  They  add,  that  at  their  last 
communion  more  than  eighty  souls  sat  down  at  the  Lord's 
table ;  and  it  seemed  as  if  He  who  sitteth  between  the 
cherubim  was  present  in  the  church. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

REVIVAL   IN    1846. 

PREPARATORY  WORK. SANCTIFIED  AFFLICTIONS. NAME  FOR  REVIVAL. 

SCENES    IN    THE  SEMINARIES  IN  JANUARY.  —  DEACON  JOHN,  SANUM, 

AND     SARAH.  MR.     STODDARD.  YAKOB. YONAN. MEETING     IN 

THE  BETHEL. PRIEST  ESHOO.  —  DEACON  TAMO.  —  PHYSICAL  EXCITE- 
MENT AND  ITS  CURE. — ARTLESS  SIMPLICITY  OFpONVERTS. MISSION- 
ARY BOX. MEETINGS  BEFORE  VACATION. MR.  STODDARD'S  LABORS. 

FEMALE  PRAYER  MEETING.  —  REVIVAL  IN  THE  AUTUMN. 

The  first  revival  in  Orooniiah  seemed  to  burst  forth  like 
a  fountain  in  the  desert.  Yet,  as  such  a  fountain,  though 
springing  full  grown  from  the  earth,  is  connected  with  un- 
seen arrangements  working  out  that  visible  result,  so  was 
this  revival  connected  with  an  extended  process  of  prepara- 
tion. For  years  there  had  been  a  laborious  inculcation  of 
divine  truth,  especially  in  the  Seminary.  True,  there  had 
been  few  conversions;  but  those  few  were  an  essential  part 
of  the  preparatory  work.  The  roots  of  this  revival  ex- 
tended back  as  far  as  the  conversion  of  Deacon  John,  in 
1844.  Even  in  those  still  unconverted,  there  had  been  a 
wonderful  preparation  of  the  way  of  the  Lord.  No  one 
could  compare  the  condition  of  the  places  yet  unblessed  by 
missionary  labor,  with  those  so  favored,  and  not  feel  this. 
Religious  education  had  made  a  marked  improvement  in 
the  appearance  of  the  pupils  of  both  Seminaries,  in  their 
personal  habits,  their  intelligence,  and  especially  in  their 
10  *  (113) 


114  WOMAN   AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 

knowledge  of  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel.  Old  supersti- 
tions had  lost  their  hold;  they  could  no  longer  trust  in 
fasts  and  ceremonies,  and  they  had  an  intellectual  under- 
standing of  the  way  of  salvation  through  a  Redeemer. 
True,  all  this  did  not  necessarily  involve  a  spiritual  work ; 
hut  God  is  pleased  to  have  the  way  thus  prepared  for  that 
Spirit  who  sanctifies  through  the  truth.  Those  who  had 
received  the  most  instruction  were  the  first  to  come  to 
Christ,  and  have  since  lived  the  more  consistent  Chris- 
tian life. 

Then,  in  the  good  providence  of  Him  who  always  ob- 
serves a  beautiful  order  in  the  manifestations  of  his  grace, 
other  influences  tended  to  the  same  result.  The  very 
delay  of  the  blessing  called  forth  earnest  prayer  from  the 
husbandmen  who  were  wTaiting  for  precious  fruit,  and  had 
long  patience  for  it,  till  they  received  the  early  and  the 
latter  rain.  The  trials  which  the  missionaries  had  passed 
through  in  1845  also  tended  to  produce  that  despair  of 
help  from  themselves  which  usually  precedes  blessing. 
In  1844  they  numbered  sixteen  souls;  but  in  1846,  from 
various  causes,  they  were  diminished  to  ten.  These  were 
not  discouraged,  but  remained  at  their  post  confident  that 
labors  in  the  Lord  cannot  be  in  vain.  Then  the  persecu- 
tion under  Mar  Shimon  shut  them  up  to  God  as  their  only 
hope,  while  it  rid  them  of  some  native  helpers,  who  cared 
chiefly  for  their  own  temporal  advantage.  The  army  of 
Gideon,  on  all  sides,  wras  being  diminished  in  order  to 
secure  obedience  to  that  precept,  "  He  that  glorieth,  let  him 
glory  in  the  Lord."  The  feeling  was  general,  "all  our 
springs  are  in  God."  One  of  the  missionaries  said,  in  the 
autumn  of  1845,  "God  never  formed  a  soul  that  Christ 
cannot  redeem  from  the  power  of  sin.  I  know  this  people 
are  sunk  in  sin  and  degradation ;  but  Jesus  died  to  save 


REVIVAL   IN   1846.  115 

them,  and  we  may  see  them  forever  stars  in  his  crown  of 
rejoicing,  if  we  are  only  humble  and  faithful  enough  to 
lead  them  to  the  Saviour." 

At  the  time  of  the  revival,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Perkins 
resided  at  Seir,  and  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Wright  were  tempo- 
rarily with  them  in  that  village.  Mr.  Breath  was  in  the 
city,  hut  using  the  Turkish  mainly,  he  never  ventured  to 
give  religious  instruction  in  Syriac ;  so  that  Mr.  Stocking 
and  Mr.  Stoddard  were  the  only  laborers  in  Oroomiah. 
They  lived  on  the  mission  premises  already  described ;  and 
at  that  time  the  Male  Seminary  occupied  a  building  in  the 
same  enclosure. 

One  day  in  the  autumn  of  1845,  Mr.  Stocking,  Miss  Fiske, 
and  Deacon  John  were  riding  together,  when  John  asked 
in  English,  "  If  we  ever  have  a  revival  here,  what  shall  we 
call  it  ?  "  Mr.  Stocking  replied,  "  Let  us  get  it  first ;  then 
we  will  find  a  name;"  and  when  it  did  come,  the  pious 
Nestorians  at  once  called  it  "  an  awakening." 

Towards  the  close  of  December,  Mr.  Stocking  noticed 
repeated  indications  of  deep  seriousness  among  the  pupils 
of  Mr.  Stoddard,  and  felt  that  they  were  on  the  eve  of  a 
revival.  About  the  same  time,  Deacon  John  was  more 
active  in  labor,  and  earnest  in  prayer.  In  the  Seminaries, 
the  teachers  did  not  think  so  much  of  what  their  pupils 
were,  as  of  the  power  of  God  to  make  them  like  himself. 
They  labored  in  hope,  expecting  a  blessing ;  but  it  came 
sooner  than  they  looked  for,  and  in  larger  measure.  The 
first  Monday  of  the  new  year,  January  5th,  was  spent  as 
a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer ;  and  the  missionaries  had  just 
begun  to  pray,  when  they  found  that  some  were  praying 
for  themselves.  Miss  Fiske  went  into  her  school,  as  usual, 
at  nine  o'clock,  and,  after  telling  her  flock  that  many 
prayers  were  being  offered  for  them  that  day  in  a  distant 


116  WOMAN    AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 

land,  led  their  morning  devotions,  and  then  sent  them  into 
another  room  to  study  with  a  native  teacher.  Sanum  and 
Sarah  lingered  behind  the  rest ;  and  as  they  drew  near,  she 
asked,  "Did  yon  not  understand  me?"  They  made  no 
reply;  and  she  saw  they  were  weeping.  "Have  you  had 
bad  news  ?"  Still  no  reply ;  but  when  they  got  near  enough, 
they  whispered,  "May  we  have  to-day  to  care  for  our 
souls?"  and  Sarah  added,  "Perhaps  next  year  I  shall  not 
be  here."  There  was  no  private  room  to  give  them,  but 
they  made  a  closet  for  themselves  among  the  fuel  in  the 
wood  cellar,  and  there  spent  that  day  looking  unto  Jesus ; 
nor  did  they  look  in  vain.  Their  teacher  did  not  know 
where  they  had  gone,  till,  long  after  one  of  them  had  died, 
the  survivor  gave  her  an  account  of  that  memorable  day. 

On  Sabbath  evening,  January  18th,  the  words  at  the 
English  prayer  meeting  were  few;  but  the  prayers  car- 
ried the  dear  pupils  and  laid  them  at  the  feet  of  Jesus. 
At  the  close  of  the  meeting,  Mr.  Stoddard  was  lighting  his 
candle  to  go  home,  when  Mr.  Stocking  asked  if  he  saw 
any  indications  of  interest  in  his  school.  There  was  no 
reply ;  but  the  expressive  face,  and  the  candle  dropping  un- 
noticed as  he  held  it,  showed  that  thought  was  busy,  and 
the  heart  full.  At  length  he  said,  with  deep  feeling,  "I 
should  expect  to  see  interest  if  we  felt  as  we  ought  to 
feel;"  and  passed  out.  All  were  impressed  with  his  man- 
ner, so  earnest,  yet  so  humble.  He  retired  to  his  study, 
called  John,  and  talked  with  him  on  the  state  of  the 
school.  He  proposed  that  they  should  each  day  make 
some  one  pupil  a  subject  of  special  prayer  and  personal 
effort,  and  begin  that  night  with  Yakob  of  Sooldooz. 
They  prayed  together  for  him,  and  then  he  said,  "John,  I 
want  to  talk  with  him  to-night;  Ave  don't  know  what  may 
be  on  the  morrow ;  go  and  call  him."     Yakob,  who  had 


REVIVAL  IN   1846..  117 

acted  badly  in  meeting  that  day,  came,  expecting  to  be 
punished ;  but  when  Mr.  Stoddard  kindly  asked  him  to 
come  and  sit  down  by  him,  and,  taking  his  hand,  said, 
"  Have  you  ever  thought  that  you  have  a  soul  to  be  saved 
or  lost?"  he  broke  down  at  once.  He  confessed  that 
the  whole  school  had  combined  to  shut  out  the  subject 
from  their  thoughts,  but  really  felt  so  uneasy,  that  if  one 
of  them  should  be  brought  to  Christ  he  thought  all  would 
follow.  Then  the  good  man,  who  was  so  distressed  that 
day  because  he  could  see  no  impression  made  by  the  ser- 
mon, thanked  God  and  took  courage.  Not  willing  to 
devote  Monday  to  Yakob  alone,  he  conversed  with  another 
of  the  same  name,  and  he  too  went  away  weeping  to  his 
closet.  The  two  had  been  in  the  recitation  room  but  a 
little  while  before  their  feelings  became  so  intense  that 
they  had  to  ask  leave  to  retire.  "It  is  God!"  "It  is 
God!"  was  whispered  from  seat  to  seat;  and  at  noon  a 
•group  collected  to  discuss  what  was  to  be  done.  One  pro- 
posed to  rise  up  against  the  work,  and  put  it  down  ;  but  at 
length  Yonan  of  Geog  Tapa  said,  "  I  don't  want  to  be  a 
Christian ;  I  don't  mean  to  be ;  but  I  am  afraid  to  oppose 
this ;  we  had  better  let  it  alone.  If  it  js  God's  work  we 
cannot  put  it  down,  and  if  it  is  man's  work  it  will  come  to 
nought  without  our  interference."  Nothing  more  was  said, 
but  before  school  commenced  that  afternoon,  some  of  those 
boys  were  on  their  knees  in  prayer. 

In  the  evening,  Mr.  Stoddard  sent  for  two  leaders  in 
the  opposition,  very  promising  scholars,  but  of  late  for- 
ward in  every  thing  that  was  evil  —  one  of  them  this 
Yonan,  and  as  he  himself  told  afterwards:  "Mr.  Stoddard 
said, '  If  you  do  not  wish  to  be  saved  yourselves,  I  beg  of 
you,  from  my  inmost  soul,  not  to  hinder  others;'  and 
eternity  so  opened  up  before  me,  that  I  was  ready  to  be 


118  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

swallowed  up.  I  longed  for  some  one  to  speak  to  me  of 
the  way  of  escape ;  but  no  such  word  was  spoken  to  me 
that  night.  I  could  not  sleep,  for  I  was  almost  sure  there 
was  but  a  step  between  me  and  death."  Late  on  Thursday 
evening,  the  other  Yonan,  of  Ada,  came  to  Mr.  Stoddard 
in  extreme  agitation,  who  conversed  with  him  a  while,  and 
then  left  him  there  to  pray  alone.  That  night  he  too  could 
not  sleep.  The  years  he  had  spent  in  sin  rose  up  before  him 
in  the  light  of  God,  and  filled  him  with  anguish ;  but  next 
morning,  in  conversing  with  Mr.  Stoddard,  he  seemed  to 
find  rest  in  submitting  to  sovereign  mercy. 

On  Monday  evening,  the  indications  of  interest  in  the 
Female  Seminary  were  such,  that  the  teacher  invited  those 
disposed  to  seek  salvation  at  once,  to  come  to  her  room  at 
five  o'clock.  Before  that  hour,  a  number  had  retired  to 
pray  for  themselves.  Just  then,  Mr.  Stoddard  came  to 
the  door  of  the  teacher,  saying,  "  I  cannot  stop ;  but  I 
wanted  you  to  know  that  four  or  five  of  my  boys  are 
much  distressed  for  their  sins."  This  was  the  first  intima- 
tion she  had  of  what  was  taking  place  in  the  other  school ; 
and  she  turned  away  from  Mr.  Stoddard  to  find  five  of  her 
pupils  in  the  same  condition.  Mr.  Stoddard  came  in  again, 
in  the  course  of  the  evening,  to  pray  and  consult ;  and  Mr. 
Stocking  gave  up  every  thing  else  to  labor  with  the  pupils 
in  both  schools.  Both  Dr.  Perkins  and  Di\  Wright  came 
down  frequently  from  Seir.  Eveiy  day  brought  out  new 
cases  of  those  who  were  being  taught  of  God.  Wednesday 
evening,  at  the  conclusion  of  a  sermon  from  Mr.  Stocking, 
on  the  words,  "  Behold,  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock,"  no 
member  of  the  Male  Seminary  seemed  willing  to  leave  his 
seat.  After  a  few  words  of  exhortation,  they  were  dis- 
missed to  their  rooms ;  but  so  intense  were  their  feelings 
that  they  came  in  crowds  to  the  teacher's  study,  where  he 


REVIVAL   IN   1846.  119 

preached  Jesns  Christ,  and  forgiveness  through  his  blood, 
till  near  midnight;  then,  fatigued  and  exhausted,  he  retired 
to  rest.  Thursday  evening,  in  the  English  prayer  meeting, 
Mr.  Stoddard  said,  "  God  will  assuredly  carry  forward  his 
own  work.  Let  us  give  ourselves  up  to  labor  for  him,  in 
pointing  these  precious  souls  to  Christ."  After  the  meeting, 
the  teachers  of  both  Seminaries  left  to  engage  in  that 
blessed  work  till  midnight.  Eleven  years  after,  on  the 
same  evening,  and  about  the  same  hour,  one  was  called  to 
see  the  other  pass  from  earth  into  the  presence  of  the 
Saviour  whom  he  then  set  forth  so  faithfully.  No  wonder 
the  survivor  recalled  it  in  the  hush  of  that  parting  scene. 

It  is  difficult  to  describe  the  occurrences  of  this  eventful 
week.  The  teachers'  rooms  were  in  such  demand  as  closets 
for  the  pupils,  that  they  could  hardly  command  them  long 
enough  for  their  own  devotions.  They  were  ready  -to 
write  "  Immanuel "  on  every  thing  around  them.  The  girls 
were  very  free  to  express  their  feelings,  and  they  had  such 
perfect  confidence  in  their  teacher,  that  often,  during  the 
revival,  some  of  them  woke  her  in  the  morning,  standing  at 
her  bedside,  with  some  inquiry  about  the  way  of  life. 

The  two  schools  hardly  knew  any  thing  of  each  other 
till  Friday  evening,  when  they  met  in  a  room  fitted  up  for 
the  Female  Seminary  the  preceding  autumn.  The  first 
time  Mr.  Stoddard  entered  it  after  this,  he  looked  round, 
and  said,  "May  this  room  be  wholly  consecrated  to  the 
Lord  forever;"  and  this  evening  Christ  seemed  to  take 
possession  of  it.  The  boys  sat  on  one  side,  and  the  girls 
on  the  other;  and  seldom,  perhaps,  has  there  been  a  com- 
pany more  under  the  influence  of  things  unseen.  It 
seemed  as  though  God  himself  spoke  that  evening  through 
his  ministering  servants,  and  this  and  that  one  was  born 
there  and  then.     It  was  in  the  same  room  that  that  last 


120  WOMAN   AND   HER  SAVIOUR. 

prayer  meeting  of  the  teacher  with  her  former  pupils  was 
held,  July  15th,  1858.  In  the  engraving,  the  two  upper 
windows,  immediately  to  the  left  of  the  small  ones  over 
the  central  door,  belong  to  this  room. 

At  the  close  Of  the  week,  ten  of  the  pupils  were  trusting 
in  Christ ;  and  of  the  next  Lord's  day  it  might  truly  be 
said,  "  That  Sabbath  was  an  high  day,"  for  the  Lord  was 
present,  and  many  strong  men  bowed  before  him.  Priest 
Eshoo  had  watched  the  boys ;  he  had  watched  his  own  pray- 
ing Sarah ;  and  now  he  looked  within.  He  had  never  been 
known  to  weep ;  he  scorned  such  weakness ;  but  when,  at 
the  close  of  the  afternoon  service,  Mr.  Stocking  took  his 
hand,  saying, "  Be  sure  you  are  on  the  right  foundation,"  he 
buried  his  face  in  his  handkerchief  and  wept  aloud.  Nor 
did  he  weep  alone;  Deacon  Tamo,  too,  —  whose  levity  all 
through  the  week  had  been  a  sore  trial  to  Mr.  Stoddard,  so 
that  he  had  asked,  "  Can  it  be  that  God  has  let  him  come 
here  to  hinder  the  work?"  —  now  trembled  from  head  to 
foot.  Mr.  Stoddard  prayed  with  him,  and  as  they  rose 
from  their  knees,  Tamo  looked  him  in  the  face,  and,  with 
streaming  eyes,  said,  "  Thank  you,  thank  you  for  caring  for 
my  soul." 

During  the  following  week,  most  of  the  inmates  of  both 
Seminaries  were  deeply  convinced  of  sin,  and  daily  some 
souls  seemed  to  come  to  the  Saviour. 

But  some  things  rendered  it  apparent  that  the  interest 
was  not  all  from  above.  One  evening,  fifteen  or  twenty 
boys  were  found  rolling  on  the  floor,  groaning  and  crying 
for  mercy.  Measures  were  taken  at  once  to  prevent  the 
repetition  of  such  a  scene,  and  at  evening  prayers  Mr. 
Stocking  commenced  his  remarks  by  asking  if  any  of  them 
had  ever  seen  the  Nazloo  River,  at  Marbeeshoo,  near  its 
source.     Startled  by  what  seemed  a  very  untimely  question, 


REVIVAL   IN    1846.  121 

a  few  answered,  "Yes."  "Was  there  much  water  in  it?" 
Wondering  what  he  could  mean,  the  answer  was,  "No; 
very  little."  "Did  it  make  much  noise ? "  "Yes;  a  great 
deal."  The  catechist  went  on  :  "  Have  you  seen  the  same 
river  on  the  plain  ?  "  By  this  time,  every  ear  was  listening, 
and  all  replied,  "  Yes."  "  Was  it  deep  and  wide  ?  "  "  Yes ; 
it  was  full  of  water."  "And  was  it  more  noisy  than  at 
Marbeeshoo ? "  "No;  it  was  very  quiet  and  still."  The 
parable  was  now  applied  very  faithfully.  He  said  that  he 
had  hoped  the  Holy  Spirit  had  been  teaching  them  the  evil 
of  their  hearts ;  but  their  noise  and  confusion  that  evening 
showed  him  that  there  was  no  depth  to  their  experience. 
The  effect  was  wonderful;  they  hung  their  heads  and 
quietly  dispersed,  and  from  many  a  closet  that  night  might 
have  been  heard  the  petition,  "Lord,  make  me  to  know  my 
heart,  and  let  me  not  be  like  that  noisy  river."  What 
threatened  to  be  an  uncontrollable  excitement  became  at 
once  a  quiet  but  deep  sense  of  guilt.  Their  desires  were 
not  less  intense,  but  more  spiritual ;  their  consciences  were 
very  tender,  and  their  feelings  contrite,  but  subdued  and 
gentle. 

In  this  revival,  the  converts  had  a  great  deal  of  feeling, 
but  no  knowledge  of  the  mode  in  which  such  feelings  find 
expression  in  Christian  lands;  and  in  the  freshness  and 
strength  of  their  emotions  they  yielded  to  every  impulse 
with  an  unconscious  simplicity  that  was  exceedingly  inter- 
esting. If  they  were  under  conviction  of  sin,  that  found 
immediate  and  unrestrained  utterance.  If  they  thought 
they  were  forgiven,  that,  too,  at  once  found  expression. 
There  was  a  wonderful  transparency  of  spirit  that  revealed 
each  varying  aspect  of  their  feelings,  and  withal  a  ten- 
dency to  undue  excitement  that  needed  careful  handling. 
Indeed,  it  was  found  necessary  to  watch  their  social  meet- 
11 


122  WOMAN    AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 

ings  very  closely,  and  sometimes  to  direct  them  to  pray 
alone. 

For  three  weeks,  very  few  visitors  came  to  the  Sem- 
inary. The  time  seemed  to  be  given  exj>ressly  for  the 
benefit  of  the  pupils,  and  it  was  like  one  continual  Sab- 
bath. Every  corner  was  consecrated  to  prayer,  and  most 
of  the  work  was  direct  effort  for  the  salvation  of  souls. 
But  after  that,  visitors  began  to  come,  and  then  the  young 
converts  became  helpers  in  Christ  Jesus,  even  the  sight  of 
their  devotion  turning  the  thoughts  of  others  to  spiritual 
things.  Often  ten  or  fifteen  women  spent  the  night  on  the 
premises ;  and  at  such  times,  all  the  spare  bedding  was 
brought  into  the  great  room,  which  was  transformed  into  a 
dormitory.  The  teacher  often  staid  with  them  till  mid- 
night, and  then,  from  her  own  room,  could  hear  them 
praying  the  rest  of  the  night.  In  connection  with  this, 
one  incident  claims  our  notice.  One  day  in  February, 
a  box  arrived  from  America  for  the  Seminary;  but  so 
engrossed  was  the  teacher  with  more  important  duties, 
that  it  was  midnight  ere  she  could  open  it.  Next  morning, 
all  were  invited  to  her  room,  to  see  the  contents.  She  told 
of  the  kind  friends  who  had  sent  it,  and  the  love  of  Christ, 
that  constrained  to  such  kindness.  They  were  moved  to 
tears,  but  not  one  rose  to  examine  the  things,  and  not  a 
word  was  spoken,  till  the  proposal  was  made  that  the  quilts 
should  be  kept  for  the  use  of  their  friends  who  came  to 
hear  the  word  of  God.  All  joyfully  agreed  to  that,  and 
then,  after  looking  at  the  articles,  they  returned  to  pray 
for  their  benefactors. 

The  last  meetings  of  the  school  before  the  March  vaca- 
tion were  called  thanksgivings,  and  fitly,  too,  for  in  the  two 
Seminaries  as  many  as  fifty  souls  had  begun  to  love  the 
Saviour.     Vfhen  they  left,  the  universal  cry  was,  "  Pray  for 


REVIVAL    IN    1846.  123 

us."  "Pray  for  us  in  the  temptations  that  await  us  at 
home."  One  little  girl  said,  "  Did  you  ever  see  a  new-born 
lamb  cast  into  the  snow  and  live?  And  can  we  live?" 
Thank  God,  most  of  the  hopeful  converts  did  live,  and  we 
trust  are  to  live  forever,  with  the  good  Shepherd  who  gave 
his  life  for  their  salvation. 

It  does  not  fall  in  with  the  design  of  this  volume  to  give 
a  complete  account  of  the  revival,  but  we  cannot  leave  it 
without  a  word  more  about  the  instrumentality  of  Mr. 
Stoddard  in  connection  with  that  work  of  grace.  He  was 
abundant  in  preaching.  He  did  not  think  that  the  most 
ordinary  sermons  are  good  enough  for  the  mission  field; 
for  he  knew  that  the  Nestorians  could  discriminate  as  well 
as  others  nearer  home,  and  so  wrote  out  his  sermons  care- 
fully in  English,  but  in  the  Syriac  idiom,  noting  on  a  blank 
page  the  books  consulted  in  their  prejiaration.  He  also 
excelled  in  labors  for  individuals.  The  first  inquirer 
became  such  while  Mr.  Stoddard  pressed  home  upon  his 
conscience  his  guilt  as  a  sinner  against  God;  and  the 
same  is  true  of  many  others.  After  conversing  with  a 
person,  he  always  led  him  to  the  throne  of  grace,  and  then 
had  him  present  his  own  offering  there ;  and  after  such 
a  one  had  left,  he  seemed  unable  to  turn  his  thoughts 
to  any  thing  else,  till  again  in  private  he  had  commended 
him  to  God.  Indeed,  he  often  began  to  do  this  before 
they  descended  the  stairs.  He  kept  a  little  book,  in  which 
he  recorded  every  case,  the  state  in  which  he  found  the 
person,  and  any  subsequent  change ;  and  it  was  noticed 
that  where  he  began,  he  continued  to  labor,  not  only  till 
there  was  hope,  but  even  assurance  of  hope.  Such  labor 
is  as  exhausting  as  it  is  delightful;  and  no  wonder  his 
strength  proved  less  than  his  zeal  and  love. 

It  was  a  gi*eat  joy  to  him  when  his  people  could  take 


124  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

part  in  prayer  meetings.  He  divided  the  thirty  converts 
among  them  into  three  circles,  and  met  each  of  them  twice 
a  week :  this  furnished  him  a  season  of  refreshment  every 
day,  and  each  of  them  took  part  at  least  once  a  week. 
They  were  thus  eai'ly  initiated  into  a  course  of  Christian 
activity,  and  taxight  that  they  would  lose  much  themselves, 
besides  failing  to  do  good  to  others,  if  they  held  back.  The 
converts  were  so  rooted  and  grounded  in  this  truth,  that 
once,  when  Miss  Fiske  was  in  Geog  Ta23a,  a  brother  said  to 
her  that  she  must  not  leave  the  village  till  she  had  induced 
a  woman  to  pray  with  her,  whom  they  all  regarded  as  a 
Christian,  but  who  would  not  take  part  in  their  female 
prayer  meetings ;  and  when  she  objected  to  urging  her, 
Deacon  John  replied,  "If  she  was  an  ordinary  Christian, 
we  might  let  her  pass ;  but  her  position  is  one  of  such 
prominence,  that  the  other  women  will  do  just  as  she  does; 
and  so  she  must  do  right."  Miss  Fiske  talked  long  with 
the  delinquent,  but  she  insisted  that  she  could  not  do  it. 
The  missionary  told  of  her  own  trials  in  the  matter,  —  how 
she  had  staid  away  from  meeting  lest  she  should  be  called 
on,  and  remained  unblessed  till  she  was  willing  to  do  her 
duty.  She  prayed  with  her  once  and  again,  even  a  third 
time,  before  she  consented,  saying,  "I  will  not  displease 
God  any  more  in  this."  So,  drawing  very  close  to  her 
instructor,  she  offered  two  petitions  for  herself,  and  one  that 
her  friend  might  be  rewarded  for  shoAving  her  her  duty. 
Hannah  was  soon  active  in  the  women's  meetings,  and  is 
to  this  day  a  most  useful  aTid  consistent  Christian. 

Another  marked  feature  in  Mr.  Stoddard's  labors  was  his 
tact  in  setting  others  to  work  for  Christ.  He  taught  his 
pupils  that  they  must  toil  as  well  as  pray,  and  soon  after 
the  first  converts  were  brought  to  Christ,  definite  labor  for 
others  was  assigned  to  them,  not  only  among  their  school- 


REVIVAL   IN   1846.  125 

mates  and  those  who  visited  the  premises,  but  also  in 
gathering  in  those  not  disposed  to  come  to  meeting.  Once, 
when  three  fourths  of  the  pupils  were  hopefully  pious,  Mr. 
Stoddard  said,  "  I  must  bring  in  more,  just  to  furnish  work 
for  these  converts."  He  himself  was  happy  in  his  work, 
because  he  gave  himself  wholly  to  it,  without  the  least 
reservation ;  and  amid  the  many  trials  that  marked  the 
years  of  his  residence  in  Persia,  he  looked  beyond  them  all, 
to  Him  who  not  only  can  give  joy  in  suffering,  but,  by 
means  of  it,  bring  sinners  to  the  Saviour. 

The  hopeful  converts  in  the  Seminary,  after  spending 
the  summer  of  1846  at  their  own  homes,  in  circumstances 
of  great  trial  and  temptation,  returned,  all  save  one,  not 
only  retaining  their  interest  in  spiritual  things,  but  estab- 
lished in  Christian  character.  Their  friends  also  testified 
to  their  thoughtfulness,  prayerfulness,  and  cheerful  obe- 
dience at  home,  and  the  influence  of  their  piety  was  happy 
on  others. 

For  a  while,  in  the  autumn  of  1846,  the  school  was  dis- 
banded oh  account  of  the  cholera.  But,  contrary  to  the 
fears  of  many,  after  a  separation  of  two  months,  all  were 
spared  to  meet  again,  though  hundreds  had  fallen  on  all 
sides.  Three  weeks  afterwards,  the  Christians  among  them 
seemed  more  than  usually  earnest  in  prayer  for  the  con- 
version of  the  impenitent,  and  at  once  the  answer  came. 
The  first  one  awakened  was  Moressa,  now  the  wife  of 
Yakob,  of  Supergan,  and  then  about  fourteen  years  of  age. 
She  had  been  taken  into  the  family  of  Mrs.  Grant  nine 
years  before,  and  that  of  Mr.  Stocking  afterwards.  She  had 
received  much  religious  instruction,  with  apparently  little 
effect ;  but  now  her  convictions  were  deep,  though  she  did 
not  submit  to  Christ  for  nearly  a  week  after  she  felt  she 
was  lost.  Her  case  deeply  enlisted  the  sympathies  of  her 
11* 


126  WOMAN  AND  HER  SAVIOUR. 

fellow-pupils,  and   soon    several   others   passed   through  a 
season  of  deep  distress,  to  rest  in  the  grace  of  Christ. 

One  of  these  was  Eneza,  sister  of  Oshana,  and  now  the 
wife  of  Shlemon,  in  Araadia.  Her  widowed  mother  had 
fled  with  her  children  to  Oroomiah  before  the  Koordish 
invasion  of  her  native  Tehoma.  Few  children  have  so 
deep  a  sense  of  sin  as  she  had,  or  exercise  such  implicit 
trust  in  the  Saviour.  At  that  time,  her  teacher  wrote, 
"  May  she  become  a  messenger  of  great  good  to  her 
countrywomen ; "  and  now,  that  prayer  is  being  answered 
in  her  usefulness  in  that  distant  and  lonely  field  of  labor. 
Altogether  there  were  seven  who  seemed  at  this  time  to 
take  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  as  their  God  and  Saviour. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

FIRST  FRUITS. 

SARAH,  DAUGHTER  OF  PRIEST  ESHOO. MARTHA. HANNAH. 

Let  us  now  turn  aside  to  take  a  nearer  view  of  the  first 
fruits  of  this  revival.  The  first  to  ask  the  way  to  heaven, 
to  find  it,  and  to  enter  through  the  gate  into  the  city,  was 
Sarah,  or  Sarra,  as  the  Nestorians  pronounce  it.  She  was 
born  among  the  rude  mountaineers  of  Gawar,  in  1831. 
Her  father,  Eshoo,  then  a  deacon,  regarded  her  at  first 
with  the  aversion  Nestorian  fathers  usually  felt  towards 
their  daughters  ;  but  her  strong  attachment  to  him  while 
yet  a  child,  so  won  his  heart,  that  when  the  Koords  over- 
ran Gawar,  in  1835,  and  the  family  fled  from  their  smoul- 
dering village,  he  was  willing  to  be  seen  carrying  her  on 
his  back,  in  the  same  way  that  his  wife  bore  her  younger 
sister.  The  family  stopped  for  a  time  at  Degala,  and  sub- 
sisted by  begging  from  door  to  door,  lodging  at  night  in  a 
stable.  The  fine  intellect  of  the  self-taught  father  soon 
brought  him  to  the  notice  of  the  missionaries ;  and  one 
day  Mrs.  Grant,  then  just  about  securing  her  long-cherished 
desire  of  a  school  for  girls,  asked  him,  in  her  winning  way, 
"  Have  you  any  daughters  ?  and  will  you  not  send  them  to 
our  little  school  ?  The  inquiry  revived  a  wish  that  he  had 
felt  while  yet  in  Gawar,  that  his  daughter  should  learn  to 
read ;   and  in  the  spring  of  1841,  when  he  moved   from 

(127) 


128  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

Degala  to  the  city,  he  sent  her  to  the  mission  school.  She 
had  just  entered  her  tenth  year  —  a  tall,  slender,  dark-eyed 
girl,  even  then  giving  indications  of  her  early  death,  and 
though  often  a  great  sufferer,  she  applied  herself  so  dili- 
gently to  study,  that  she  soon  became,  as  she  ever  con- 
tinued to  be,  the  best  scholar  in  the  school. 

The  ancient  Syriac  Bible  was  the  principal  text  book ; 
and  she  so  far  mastered  that  language  as  to  acquire  a 
knowledge  of  Scripture  rarely  attained  in  any  land  by  a 
child  of  her  years.  She  was  the  walking  concordance  of 
the  school ;  and  her  knowledge  of  the  doctrines  of  the 
Bible  was  even  more  remarkable.  Under  the  teaching 
of  Mrs.  Harriet  Stoddard,  she  had  also  learned  to  sing 
sweetly  our  sacred  music.  Still,  with  all  her  acquirements, 
she  was  destitute  of  grace  ;  and  her  declining  health  led 
her  teacher  to  feel  much  anxiety  for  her  salvation. 

On  the  first  Monday  in  1846,  she  said  to  Sanum,  one  of 
her  schoolmates,  who,  she  knew,  was  thoughtful,  "  Sister, 
we  ought  to  turn  to  God.  Shall  we  ever  find  a  better 
time  than  when  so  many  are  praying  for  us?"  They 
together  resolved  to  spend  the  day  in  seeking  salvation ; 
and  the  manner  in  which  they  made  known  this  purpose 
to  their  teacher,  and  carried  it  out,  has  been  already 
related.  (See  p.  116).  From  that  day,  she  never  seemed  to 
waver.  As  soon  as  she  found  peace  for  herself,  she  sought 
to  make  others  acquainted  with  her  Saviour ;  not  for- 
getting, however,  that  prayer  of  the  Psalmist,  "  Search 
me,  O  God,  and  know  my  heart;  try  me,  and  know  my 
thoughts.  See  if  there  be  any  wicked  way  in  me,  and 
lead  me  in  the  way  everlasting."  Feeble  as  she  was,  she 
never  shrank  from  labor.  Hours  every  day  were  spent  in 
her  closet,  and  the  rest  of  her  time  was  sacredly  used  for 
Christ.     She  had  much  to  do  with  the  conversion  of  the 


FIRST   FRUITS.  129 

twenty  schoolmates  whom  she  was  permitted  to  see  in 
Christ  before  she  went  home  ;  and  she  did  much  for  the 
women  who  came  to  the  Seminary.  Her  teacher  never 
knew  a  young  person  more  anxious  to  save  souls.  Both 
pupils  and  visitors  loved  to  have  Sarah  tell  them  the  way. 
They  said,  "  We  can  see  it  when  she  tells  us."  jSTo  won- 
der they  saw  it,  for  she  seemed  to  look  on  it  all  the  time. 
Her  teacher  depended  much  on  her,  and  yet  often  remon- 
strated with  her  for  such  incessant  labors.  Still  she  felt 
that  she  must  be  about  her  Father's  business  while  the  day 
lasted.  Her  desires  for  the  salvation  of  her  father  seemed 
to  commence  with  her  anxiety  for  herself;  and  his  feelings 
were  soon  so  tender  that  he  could  not  answer  an  inquiry 
about  bis  own  state  without  tears.  Sarah  was  the  first  to 
know  that  he  had  found  peace.  His  first  religious  inter- 
course with  her  was  to  tell  her  that  he  had  found  Jesus. 
He  had  known  that  she  was  thoughtful,  but  was  not  pre- 
pared to  find  her  so  full  of  humble  hope  and  holy  joy. 
Next  day,  when  urged  by  a  missionary  to  labor  for  the 
salvation  of  his  family,  he  replied,  "  Sarah  knows  the  way 
to  heaven  better  than  I  do.  She  can  teach  me  far  better 
than  I  could  her."  Their  previous  strong  attachment  now 
ripened  into  Christian  love.  He  never  felt  that  his  daily 
bread  had  been  given  him,  if  he  had  not  knelt  with  her  in 
prayer,  and  his  heart  been  lifted  up  by  her  petitions  as  well 
as  his  own.  Her  mother  at  first  scoffed ;  but  soon  she,  too, 
sought  the  Saviour ;  and  her  younger  daughter,  whose  evil 
ways  for  a  time  tried  Sarah  sorely,  was  also  afterwards 
brought  into  the  king;dom. 

Mr.  Stocking  used  to  call  her  "the  best  theologian 
among  the  Nestorians,"  and  often  said,  "  If  I  want  to  write 
a  good  sermon,  I  like  to  sit  down  first  and  talk  with  Sarah, 
and  then  be  sure  that  she  is  praying  for  me." 


130  WOMAN    AND    HER    SAVIOUR. 

Her  attachment  to  the  means  of  grace  was  strong.  She 
went  to  every  meeting,  even  after  she  could  not  reach  the 
chapel  without  help.  Her  emaciated  form,  her  hollow 
cough,  her  eye  bright  with  unnatural  lustre,  all  told  that 
she  was  passing  away,  but,  combined  with  her  sweet  sing- 
ing and  heavenly  spirit,  led  her  companions  sometimes  to 
whisper,  as  she  took  her  seat  in  the  chapel,  "  Have  we  not 
an  Elizabeth  WaUbridge  among  us?"  —  "The  Dairyman's 
Daughter,"  in  Syriac,  had  just  then  issued  from  the  press, 
and  was  a  great  favorite  with  the  Nestorians. 

As  early  as  March,  it  was  seen  that  she  must  die.  Still 
she  clung  to  the  school,  and  not  for  nought.  She  had  a 
mission  to  fulfil,  and  her  Saviour  strengthened  her  for  the 
work  to  which  he  called  her.  As  yet,  none  of  the  pious 
Nestorians  had  finished  their  course.  With  the  converts, 
victory  over  death  was  something  heard  of,  but  never  wit- 
nessed ;  and  Sarah  was  chosen  to  show  them  "in  what 
peace  a  Christian  can  die."  Perhaps  the  last  days  of  no 
young  disciple  were  ever  watched  with  more  eager  inter- 
est. "  Will  Christ  sustain  us  to  the  last  ?  Will  he  be  with 
us  through  the  dark  valley  ?  Will  he  come  for  us  and 
receive  us  to  himself,  as  he  promised?"  These  were  to 
them  momentous  questions ;  and  they  stood  ready  to  an- 
swer them  according  as  the  Lord  supported  her.  Ever 
since  her  death  they  have  looked  upon  the  last  change 
fi'om  a  new  point  of  view.     But  we  must  not  anticipate. 

The  five  months  between  her  conversion  and  her  de- 
cease were  very  precious  to  all  who  knew  her.  She 
sometimes  sat  with  her  teacher  and  talked  an  hour  at  a 
time  on  the  home  of  the  blessed.  She  seemed  to  look  in 
upon  its  glories,  and  share  its  gladness ;  and  then  her 
thoughts  turned  to  the  perishing  around  her,  saying,  "I 
would  labor  a  little  longer  for  them,  if  it  is  my  Father's 


FIRST    FRUITS. 


131 


will."  The  young  converts  whom  she  had  taught  could 
not  hear  the  thought  of  her  leaving  them  ;  but  they  sought 
to  stay  an  angel  in  his  course.  The  dross  had  been  con- 
sumed, and  the  spirit  was  made  meet  for  the  inheritance 
of  the  saints  in  light. 

About  the  middle  of  May,  it  was  felt  that  she  must  go 
home  to  her  father,  whose  house  was  near  the  Seminary. 
It  was  a  beautiful  day  in  a  Persian  summer.     The  morning 


COURT  YARD  OF  THE  FEMALE  SEMINARY. 


exercises  were  closed.  When  her  teacher  told  her  what 
they  thought,  she  replied  in  a  whisper,  "I  think  I  had 
better  go,  but  I  want  to  be  alone  a  little  before  I  leave 
not  to  return."  With  weary  step  she  sought  the  closet 
where  first  she  found  her  Saviour :  it  was  occupied.  Per- 
haps He  saw  she  might  think  more  of  the  place  than  was 
meet ;  so  she  spent  an  hour  in  another  room,  and  then 
returned,  saying,  "  I  am  ready  to  go  now."     She  went  sup- 


132  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

ported  by  a  schoolmate  on  either  side  :  stopping  in  the 
court,  she  turned  to  take  a  last  look  of  the  dear  home 
where  she  had  learned  of  Jesus,  and,  plucking  some  of 
the  roses  that  bloomed  by  her  side,  passed  on.  On  the 
preceding  page  that  court  is  represented,  as  seen  from  the 
adjoining  one.  She  suffered  intensely  for  a  few  days.  Her 
disease  forbade  her  lying  down,  even  at  night.  But  still 
not  a  day  passed  that  she  did  not  gather  some  women 
about  her,  and  point  them  to  Jesus.  Her  teacher  visited 
her  frequently,  and  often  found  her  with  her  Bible  open, 
and  several  women  around  her  bed,  to  whom  she  was 
explaining  it.  The  praying  pupils,  too,  often  knelt  with 
her  at  the  accustomed  throne  of  grace. 

One  Saturday  in  June,  her  father  was  asked  if  he  could 
go  to  Tergawer  —  twenty-five  miles  distant  —  and  preach. 
His  reply  was,  "I  will  see  what  Sarah  says."  She  said, 
"  Go,  father,  and  I  will  pray  for  you."  Sabbath  morning 
came,  and  her  teacher  saw  that  Sarah  was  almost  home  : 
she  told  her  so,  and  once  more  committed  the  dear  pupil 
to  the  Saviour  who  stood  by.  She  had  to  return  to  her 
duties  in  school,  but  first  said  to  her  mother,  "Send  for 
me  when  the  Master  calls  for  her,  for,  if  I  cannot  go  over 
Jordan  with  her,  I  would  at  least  accompany  her  to  the 
swelling  stream."  In  the  afternoon  her  sufferings  became 
intense ;  and  losing  herself  for  a  moment,  she  said,  "  Call 
my  father."  They  told  her  where  he  was.  "O,  yes,  I 
remember.  Don't  call  him.  Let  him  preach  ;  I  can  die 
alone."  She  then  said,  "  Call  Miss  Fiske;"  and  her  sister 
started  to  go.  But  the  dying  one  remembered  that  it  was 
the  hour  for  prayer  meeting,  and  beckoned  her  to  return, 
saying,  "  She  is  in  meeting  now,  with  my  companions. 
Don't  call  her ;  I  can  die  alone."  Perhaps,  with  that  teacher 
present,  her  eyes  had  not  so  clearly  discerned  the  Lord 


FIRST    FRUITS.  133 

Jesus.  Her  sufferings  were  now  so  great,  she  hardly  spoke 
for  an  hour.  Then  she  said,  in  a  clear  voice,  "  Mother, 
raise  me,  that  I  may  commit  my  spirit;"  for  she  would 
never  approach  her  Saviour  but  on  her  knees.  Supported, 
as  she  had  been  hundreds  of  times  before,  by  that  mother's 
strong  arms,  and  in  the  attitude  of  prayer,  she  said,  "  Lord 

Jesus,  receive "     And  there  she  stopped :  prayer  had 

ended.  Instead  of  the  closing  words  of  the  earthly  pe- 
tition was  the  opening  of  the  new  song  in  heaven.  The 
Saviour  did  not  wait  for  the  close  of  her  petition  before  he 
answered  it.  The  teacher  had  just  sat  down  with  her 
pupils  when  the  door  opened,  and  a  messenger  said,  "  Sarah 
is  asleep ! "  "  Yes,"  thought  she,  gratefully,  "  till  Jesus 
shall  say,  'Awake  !'"  According  to  Eastern  custom,  Sarah 
was  buried  that  same  evening  (June  13th),  and  the  whole 
school  followed  her  to  the  grave,  which  was  close  to  that 
of  Mrs.  Grant.  The  first  fruit  of  the  school  appropriately 
lies  by  the  side  of  her  who  planted  that  tree  in  the  garden 
of  the  Lord.  At  the  funeral  her  teacher  was  just  think- 
ing that  Sarah  could  help  her  no  more,  that  her  prayers  and 
labors  were  forever  ended,  when  she  looked  up,  and  her  eye 
rested  on  the  evening  star  looking  down  upon  the  grave.  It 
was  a  pleasant  thought  that  she,  too,  was  a  star  in  glory. 
She  was  glad  that  the  first  to  love  Christ  was  the  first  to  go 
to  be  with  him,  and  still  loves  to  think  of  her  as  waiting  for 
those  who  used  to  pray  with  her  on  earth.  The  Christian 
life  of  Sarah  was  short ;  but  she  did  much,  for  she  taught 
her  people  how 

"  Jesus  can  make  a  dying  bed 
Feel  soft  as  downy  pillows  are."  l 

1  For  additional  facts  about  Sarah,   sec  Nestorian  Biography,  pp. 
25-40. 

12 


134  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

After  Sarah,  like  Stephen  among  the  early  disciples, 
had  led  the  way  into  the  presence  of  her  Saviour,  Blind 
Martha  was  the  next  to  follow. 

She  was  constrained  by  sickness  to  leave  the  school  early 
in  the  spring  of  1847,  and  go  home  to  her  parents  in  Geog 
Tapa.  Though  six  miles  distant,  her  schoolmates  loved  to 
walk  out  there  to  comfort  her.  They  prized  no  recreation 
so  much  as  the  privilege  of  going  to  see  her.  They  read 
and  talked  with  her  about  her  favorite  portions  of  Scrip- 
ture, prayed  with  her,  and  were  never  allowed  to  leave 
without  singing  "Jerusalem,  my  happy  home."  At  such 
times,  one  of  them  said,  "Her  countenance  always  showed 
that  her  spirit  was  walking  the  golden  streets."  When 
asked  about  her  health,  she  uniformly  replied,  "  The  Lord 
helps  me;"  and  when  urged  to  speak  more  particularly, 
would  say,  "Dear  sisters,  the  Lord  helps  me,  and  that  is 
enough."  When,  after  five  or  six  of  them  had  prayed  in 
succession,  she  was  asked  if  she  was  not  wearied,  she 
would  reply,  "I  know  that  I  am  weak,  but  prayer 
never  tires  me."  So  great  a  privilege  was  it  deemed  to 
be  with  her,  that  one  morning,  when  a  pious  member  of 
the  Seminary  at  Seir  was  called  to  leave  the  village  early, 
he  said,  "  I  cannot  go  till  I  have  prayed  with  Blind 
Martha,  and  got  from  her  manna  for  the  road." 

Her  companions  desired  very  much  to  be  present  when 
she  went  home ;  but  this  was  not  permitted.  One  morning 
in  June,  she  said,  at  early  dawn,  "Mother,  the  day  breaks; 
I  think  Jesus  is  coming  for  me  now  ;  let  me  go."  But  see- 
ing no  change  in  her  appearance,  her  mother  lay  down 
again,  and,  when  next  she  woke,  found  that  Jesus  had 
come,  and  taken  her  to  be  with  him  in  his  home  above. 
What  was  that  vision  of  the  glory  of  Immanuel  that 
prompted  the  cry,  "  Mother,  the  day  breaks ! "   from  one 


FIRST   FRUITS.  135 

who  never  remembered  to  have  seen  the  light?  She 
became  blind  in  infancy.  A  smile  remained  on  her  pale 
face ;  and  well  might  the  sight  of  Him  who  said,  "  If  I  go 
to  prepare  a  place  for  you,  I  will  come  again  and  receive 
you  unto  myself,"  leave  such  a  memento  of  the  bliss. 

Little  Hannah,  the  youngest  member  of  the  school,  was 
suddenly  called  home  the  following  September,  when  only 
eleven  years  of  age.  When  she  first  came  to  Christ,  her 
teacher  was  awakened  one  morning  by  her  asking  at  the 
bedside,  "  Is  it  wrong  to  wish  to  die  ? "  "  But  why  do 
you  want  to  die  ?  "  "  That  I  may  go  and  stay  with  Jesus, 
and  never  sin  again."  This  desire  never  left  her.  Once 
she  said,  with  tears,  "  It  seems  as  if  I  cannot  wait  so  long- 
to  go  to  my  Saviour;"  and  at  another  time,  "I  fear  that  I 
have  sinned  in  not  being  willing  to  wait  till  Jesus  calls 
me."  Before  leaving  for  vacation,  each  pupil  put  up  her 
own  things  in  a  bundle,  to  be  laid  away  till  her  return. 
As  Hannah  was  at  work  on  hers,  she  said  to  a  girl  near 
her,  "  Perhaps  you  will  open  this.  I  do  not  think  that  I 
ever  shall.  When  you  come  together  in  the  autumn,  I 
trust  that  I  shall  be  in  the  Saviour's  school  above."  So 
strong  was  the  desire  awakened  in  her  by  Him  who  in- 
tended soon  to  gratify  it. 

While  the  cholera  raged  around,  her  in  August,  she 
frequently  said,  "  This  may  be  my  time  to  go  to  my  dear 
Saviour ;"  and  repeated  it  to  her  mother  on  the  last  morn- 
ing of  her  life,  but  went  out  as  usual  to  her  work  in  the 
vineyard.  About  noon  she  became  unwell,  and  said  to  a 
companion,  "I  am  sick;  perhaps  I  shall  die  soon."  "Are 
you  willing?"  "O,  yes,  I  am  not  afraid  to  go  to  Jesus." 
The  disease  made  rapid  progress,  and  again  she  said,  "I 
am  very  sick ;  I  shall  die  soon :  shall  we  not  pray  to- 
gether ?  "     Her  young  friend  led  in  prayer,  and  then  called 


136  WOMAN   AND   HER  SAVIOUR. 

on  her  to  follow ;  but  her  time  for  prayer  was  almost  fin- 
ished. She  could  just  say,  "Bless  my  dear  sister;  take 
me  gently  through  the  dark  river;"  when  she  sunk  ex- 
hausted, and  was  carried  to  the  house.  A  mother  bent 
over  an  only  daughter,  and  three  loving  brothers  over  an 
only  sister;  but  they  could  not  keep  her  back  from  Jesus. 
She  sent  for  her  companions,  and  they  hastened  to  her 
bedside.  She  called  for  her  Testament ;  but  her  eyesight 
was  failing  her,  and  she  returned  it,  saying,  "  I  can  never 
use  it  more ;  but  read  it  more  prayerfully,  and  love  the 
Saviour  more  than  I  have  done."  She  lingered  through 
the  night,  and  rose  with  the  dawn  to  her  long-desired  rest 
in  the  presence  of  her  Redeemer. 

It  is  remarkable  that  three  timid  girls  should  have  been 
chosen  to  lead  the  advance  of  a  great  multitude  of  Nesto- 
rians  through  the  dark  valley  into  the  light  beyond.  No 
member  of  the  Boy's  Seminary  died  till  three  years  after- 
wards; and  only  two  others  of  this  before  1858  —  a  period 
of  eleven  years ;  but  Infinite  Wisdom  chose,  through  such 
weak  and  timorous  ones,  to  glorify  the  power  of  Christ  to 
bear  his  people  through  the  last  conflict  into  everlasting 
rest. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

SUBSEQUENT    REVIVALS. 

DEACON   JOHN     STUDYING    BACKSLIDING     IN      1849. WORK    IN    VILLAGE 

OF    SEIR. WIVES    OF    SIYAD    AND    YONAN.  KHANUMJAN.  —  WOMEN 

AT    THE    SEMINARY.  GEOG    TAPA.  —  DEGALA.  —  A    PENITENT.  —  SIN 

OF      ANGER.  REVIVAL      IN      1856.  MISS      FISKE      ENCOURAGED.  — 

STILLNESS    AND    DEEP     FEELING.  —  UNABLE     TO     SING.  CONVERSION 

OF    MISSIONARY    CHILDREN. — VISIT    OF    ENGLISH   AMBASSADOR.  —  RE- 
VIVAL   OF    1857.  LETTER    OF    SANUM. 

The  first  indication  of  a  work  of  grace  in  1849. was  seen 
in  the  unusual  seriousness  of  Deacon  John.  He  had  been 
reading  Pike's  Guide  to  Young  Disciples,  and  the  chap- 
ter on  backsliding  moved  him  deeply.  For  a  long  time, 
he  went  mourning  his  departure  from  God.  One  day  he 
was  reading  aloud  in  the  Seminary,  when  a  missionary 
came  in,  and  wondering  to  see  him  there,  asked  what  he 
was  doing.  He  replied,  "I  am  studying  backsliding;  and 
O,  sir,  I  love  it  very  much ; "  meaning  to  say  that  he  loved 
to  study  the  way  back  to  the  enjoyment  of  God.  This 
state  of  mind  was  followed  by  earnest  effort  for  the  salva- 
tion of  others,  and  the  hopefully  pious  first  passed  through 
a  season  of  deep  heart-searching  and  renewed  consecration 
to  God.  Under  an  awful  sense  of  the  violation  of  cov- 
enant vows,  for  many  days  some  of  them  did  nothing  but 
weep  and  pray.  "How  unfaithful  have  I  been  to  my 
Saviour  and  to  immortal  souls!"  was  the  cry  on  all  sides. 
12  *  (137) 


138  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

One  whose  Bible  was  found  blotted  with  tears,  had  been 
converted  in  1846,  and  her  grief  was  on  account  of  her 
unfaithfulness  as  a  follower  of  Christ.  Having  thus  wept 
bitterly  herself,  she  was  veil  fitted  to  lead  others  to  the 
God  of  all  comfort.  Her  labors  were  unwearied,  both  in 
and  out  of  school.  Indeed,  the  mission  was  now  so  re- 
duced in  numbers,  that  much  of  the  work  in  this  revival 
was  performed  by  the  Nestorians,  and  they  proved  them- 
selves very  efficient.  Naturally  ardent,  they  preached 
Christ  and  him  crucified  with  a  zeal  and  faithfulness  rarely 
witnessed  in  our  own  land  ;  but  their  ardor  needed  careful 
guiding,  for  some  were,  at  one  time,  entirely  prostrated  by 
excessive  labor. 

The  pupils  of  the  Seminary,  during  a  short  vacation, 
seemed  like  angels  of  mercy  to  their  families  and  friends. 
In  Geog  Tapa,  their  meetings  for  women  every  evening 
had  an  attendance  varying  from  thirty  to  one  hundred. 
Many  of  these  were  glad  to  learn  the  way  of  salvation, 
even  from  children.  Besides  this,  the  older  pupils,  under 
the  guidance  of  an  experienced  native  helper,  spent  much 
time  in  personal  conversation  and  prayer  with  their  own 
sex,  as  did  the  members  of  the  other  Seminary  with 
the  men. 

In  the  village  of  Seir,  the  work  was  very  general.  In 
addition  to  the  labors  of  the  pious  students  in  the  Male 
Seminary  there,  Sanum  and  Moressa  labored  from  house  to 
house  among  the  women.  But  hear  their  own  account  of 
what  they  did,  in  a  letter  to  Miss  Lovell's  school  at  Con- 
stantinople ;  — 

"  What  shall  we  tell  you,  beloved,  of  the  great  love  God 
has  shown  to  our  school  and  people  ?  For  two  months  we 
have  had  such  delightful  days  as  we  never  saw  in  our  lives 
before.     The  work  of  the  Lord  has  also  commenced  in  the 


SUBSEQUENT   REVIVALS.  139 

villages,  and  in  many  there  is  great  inquiry  for  the  way  of 
life.  The  servants  of  God  are  so  full  of  zealous  love,  that 
they  preach  till  their  strength  and  voice  give  way.  But 
again  they  go  on  to  preach,  for  the  harvest  is  great,  and 
the  laborers  few.  How  should  we,  with  burning  hearts, 
beg  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  to  send  forth  laborers!  Can 
we  bear,  dear  sisters,  to  see  the  deadly  wings  of  Satan's 
kingdom  spread  out  and  destroy  those  bought  by  the  pre- 
cious blood  of  Christ  ?  Ought  we  not  rather  to  wrestle  like 
Jacob  till  we  see  the  loving  wings  of  the  kingdom  of  the 
Saviour  spread  out,  and  impart  life  to  wounded  souls  on 
every  side?  We  hope  that  your  waiting  eyes  may  see 
greater  wonders  among  your  own  people  than  we  do  here. 
"  Now  we  will  tell  you  about  the  little  village  of  Seir, 
which  contains  nineteen  houses.  God  has  visited  every 
house ;  and  because  the  women  were  much  awakened,  and 
had  no  teacher,  the  missionaries  sent  two  of  us  there,  not 
because  we  were  fit  for  such  a  work,  —  for  we  are  deficient 
in  Godly  knowledge,  and  every  qualification,  —  but  because 
God  sometimes  chooses  the  ignorant  and  weak  to  do  him 
service.  And  what  shall  we  tell  you  of  the  wonders  God 
showed  us  among  those  poor  women  ?  There  was  no 
time  in  which  they  did  not  cry,  with  tears,  '  What  shall  we 
do?'  'Woe  unto  us!'  'We  are  lost!'  When  we  asked 
them  to  pray  in  meetings,  they  prayed  as  if  taught  of  God. 
We  wondered  at  them  very  much.  In  one  house,  we  found 
a  woman  beating  her  head  with  both  hands,  crying,  '  O  my 
sins !  They  are  so  great !  There  is  no  pardon ! '  We 
tried  to  reason  with  her ;  but  if  we  took  her  hands  from 
her  head,  she  beat  her  breast.  She  said,  'You  told  me, 
when  you  prayed  with  me  the  other  day,  to  go  to  Christ ; 
but  he  will  not  receive  me,  I  am  such  a  sinner.'  With 
difficulty  we  quieted  her,  and  told  of  the  great  mercy  of 


140  WOMAN   AND    HER  SAVIOUR. 

the  Son  of  David.  We  prayed  with  each  woman  of  the 
village  alone,  and  they  with  us,  fervently  and  in  tears. 

"  In  one  instance,  we  heard  an  old  man  praying  earnestly 
in  the  stable,  and  his  wife  in  the  house.  We  waited  till 
they  had  finished,  before  we  went  in,  and  there  we  found 
an  old  man,  perhaps  ninety  years  old,  and  his  wife,  also  very 
aged.  We  spoke  with  them  of  the  lowly  Redeemer,  and 
how  he  was  ready  to  dwell  with  them,  poor  as  they  were. 
The  tear's  rolled  down  their  wrinkled  faces,  and  made  our 
own  hearts  burn  within  us.  The  old  man  prayed  with  us  as  if 
Christ  stood  right  before  him,  and  we  prayed  with  them  both. 

"There  were  meetings  several  times  a  day,  and  when 
they  closed,  the  voice  of  prayer  might  be  heard  on  all 
sides,  in  the  houses  and  stables.  Every  family  now  has 
morning  and  evening  worship." 

In  this  revival,  the  native  helpers  were  very  much  in- 
terested for  the  salvation  of  their  unconverted  wives.  The 
families  of  Siyad  and  Yonan  live  in  Geog  Tapa,  and  then- 
first  visits  home  were  blessed  to  the  conviction  of  their 
companions,  who  soon  came  to  the  school,  begging  to  be 
allowed  to  stay  and  learn  the  way  of  life.  Of  course,  they 
were  not  refused.  The  wife  of  Siyad  had  been  a  frequent 
visitor  there,  but  such  an  opposer  of  religion,  that  her 
coming  was  always  dreaded  ;  but  now  how  changed !  Day 
by  day  her  convictions  deepened,  till  they  were  over- 
whelming. Tears  were  her  meat,  and  prayer  her  employ- 
ment, day  and  night,  till,  as  she  said,  "  The  Saviour  found 
her,"  and  she  was  at  rest.  Three  children  and  a  daughter- 
in-law  joined  her  in  believing,  and  it  was  delightful  to  see 
the  family,  not  long  after,  each  in  his  or  her  turn,  calling 
on  the  name  of  the  Lord  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  the 
Seminary. 

Yonan,  the  junior  teacher  of  the  school,  had  been  mar- 


SUBSEQUENT   REVIVALS.  141 

ried  by  force  two  years  before,  by  his  wicked  father;  that, 
too,  when  his  heart  was  fixed  on  another,  every  way  fitted 
to  be  his  companion.  It  was  a  severe  trial ;  but  grace 
triumphed,  and  his  great  desire  seemed  to  be  the  conver- 
sion of  the  wife  thus  forced  upon  him.  At  midnight,  he 
was  often  heard  interceding  for  her,  and,  in  the  early  part 
of  the  revival,  the  answer  came.  Miss  Fiske  will  never 
forget  the  time  when,  in  an  adjoining  room,  she  heard  her 
for  the  first  time  praying  with  her  husband.  It  gave  her  a 
new  insight  into  the  meaning  of  that  scripture,  "They 
believed  not  for  joy."  The  new  convert  was  very  active 
among  the  women  in  her  village ;  and  when  her  father-in- 
law  forbade  social  prayer  in  his  house,  she  took  her  little 
company  at  sunset  behind  the  village  church,  where  even 
the  bleak  winds  of  February  did  not  chill  their  devotions. 

Khanumjan,  the  aged  mother  of  John,  though  past 
threescore  and  ten,  entered  into  the  work  with  a  zeal  that 
might  put  to  shame  many  younger  women  in  our  own 
land.  She  toiled  to  bring  the  more  aged  women  right  to 
the  cross,  taking  them  one  by  one  into  her  own  closet,  that 
then  and  there  they  might  accept  the  Saviour.  Though 
herself  unable  to  read,  she  did  much  for  the  preachers  who 
went  out  to  the  villages,  providing  food  for  them  on  their 
return,  and  exhorting  them  to  courage  and  faithfulness. 
No  wonder  she  said  to  a  visitor,  "  Three  years  ago,  I  saw 
Christ  in  heaven,  and  I  have  seen  him  there  ever  since ; 
but  now  he  sits  by  my  side  all  day  long."  When  she  died, 
she  said,  over  and  over  again,  "  I  am  going  after  Jesus." 

In  this  revival,  the  encouragement  to  labor  for  woman 
was  greater  than  ever  before.  After  the  middle  ef  Jan- 
uary, the  Seminary  was  almost  constantly  thronged  with 
inquirers.  Day  and  night,  it  was  consecrated  by  the 
prayers  and  tears  of  women  seeking  their  Saviour.     On 


142  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

Friday,  and  on  the  Sabbath,  many  from  the  neighboring 
villages  spent  the  time  there  between  services.  The  room 
was  filled  with  them ;  and  even  while  they  ate,  they  must 
have  some  one  speaking  to  them  of  Jesus.  Those  who  did 
so,  often  spoke  with  such  tenderness  as  showed  that  Christ 
himself  was  very  near.  Sometimes  the  women  could  net 
eat  any  thing  but  the  bread  of  life.  At  times,  the  anguish 
of  some  for  sin  was  so  overpowering,  that  the  question, 
"  Can  a  woman  forget  her  sucking  child  ? "  might  almost 
have  been  answered  in  the  affirmative.  In  some  instances, 
the  scenes  that  took  place  were  too  much  for  frail  nature 
to  bear,  and  the  laborei*s  were  ready  to  ask  to  be  clothed 
upon  with  immortality  while  the  Lord  passed  by.  Those 
who  spent  the  night  in  the  Seminary  slept  in  the  large 
room  on  the  lower  floor,  between  the  central  door  and  that 
on  the  left,  in  the  engraving ;  and  occasionally  the  sound 
of  their  weeping  and  praying  banished  sleep  from  the 
rooms  above  them.  Yet  such  hinderance  to  rest  brought 
a  refreshment  all  its  own. 

In  Geog  Tapa,  the  village  ruler  was  found  sitting  at  the 
feet  of  Jesus,  and  going  with  the  preachers  from  place  to 
place,  to  give  greater  weight  to  their  words ;  and  twenty- 
five  young  men,  though  they  could  not  read,  yet  did  what 
they  could  with  untiring  zeal. 

There  was  an  interesting  work  in  Degala,  so  noted  for 
vice  that  it  was  called  the  Sodom  of  the  Nestorians.  The 
first  converted  there  was  a  young  man  employed  in  the 
Seminary.  He  passed  through  a  severe  mental  conflict 
before  his  proud  heart  yielded ;  but  when  it  did,  he  became 
a  living  sacrifice  to  God.  One  day  he  came  to  the  teach- 
ers, saying,  "  I  have  a  petition  to  make ;  will  you  receive 
it?"  Supposing  it  to  be  some  pecuniary  matter,  they 
replied,  "  Tell  us  what  it  is."     He  at  once  burst  into  tears, 


SUBSEQUENT  REVIVALS.  143 

and  covering  his  face  with  Lis  garment,  said,  "My  village 
is  lost;  my  family  is  perishing,  and  their  blood  is  on  my 
neck ;  let  me  go  to-night  and  beg  forgiveness  for  my  wicked 
example,  and  urge  them  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come." 
He  obtained  his  request,  and  left,  sobbing  aloud.  Next 
morning,  he  brought  his  wife  and  two  other  women  to  be 
instructed.  About  a  week  after,  Deacon  Tamo  found  in 
the  village  several  inquirers,  and  one  woman  in  agony  on 
account  of  her  sins.  She  had  been  notorious  for  wicked- 
ness, and  so  vile  as  hardly  to  find  one  who  would  associate 
with  her,  though  now  one  of  the  most  lovely  Christians  in 
any  land.  The  next  day,  she  came  to  the  Seminary,  and 
as  soon  as  Miss  Fiske  sat  down  beside  her,  she  threw  her- 
self into  her  lap,  crying,  "Do  tell  me  what  to  do,  or  where 
to  go,  to  get  rid  of  my  sins."  She  was  pointed  to  the 
Lamb  of  God,  and  one  moment  her  feet  seemed  to  rest  on 
the  Rock  of  Ages,  and  the  next  a  fresh  wave  of  conviction 
swept  her  into  the  raging  sea.  So  she  vibrated  between 
life  and  death.  She  was  asked  to  pray.  In  all  her  life  she 
had  not  probably  heard  ten  prayers ;  but  her  strong  crying 
and  tears  showed  that  the  Holy  Spirit  was  her  teacher, 
and  the  helper  of  her  infirmities.  She  had  learned  to 
pray  where  her  Saviour  found  a  cradle  —  in  the  manger 
—  cast  out  and  derided  by  her  friends. 

She  was  first  awakened  in  the  Seminary;  for  one  day,  as 
soon  as  she  entered  the  door,  a  pupil,  then  under  deep  con- 
viction herself,  and  to  whom  she  was  an  entire  stranger, 
seized  her  hand,  saying,  "My  sister,  my  sister,  what  are 
you  doing  ?  We  are  all  lost.  We  must  repent,  or  perish." 
These  words  she  could  not  forget,  and  from  that  hour 
sought  until  she  found  her  Saviour,  and  then  bore  ill  treat- 
ment with  such  meekness  as  won  others  also  to  Christ. 

The   desire    of  the    converts   for   instruction  was   most 


144  WOMAN    AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 

affecting.  One  of  them  wept  bitterly  when  asked  if  she 
was  willing  to  forsake  every  sin,  saying,  "What  shall  I  do  ? 
I  have  one  sin  so  strong  that  I  fear  I  cannot  leave  it  off." 
"What  is  it?"  "I  cannot  live  without  these  words  of 
God.  My  husband  Avill  not  let  me  go  to  hear  them,  and 
anger  sometimes  rises  in  my  heart  at  this.  Tell  me  what 
to  do  with  this  sin." 

An  account  of  the  revival  in  1850  will  be  given  in  the 
chapter  on  the  prayerfulness  of  the  Nestorians.  After  this 
were  instances  of  conversion  each  year,  but  not  so  marked, 
or  so  general,  as  in  1849.  So  we  pass  over  the  intervening 
time  to  dwell  a  moment  on  the  revival  of  1856.  That 
year,  the  pupils  were  very  studious,  and  kind  in  their  feel- 
ings towards  each  other  and  their  teachers ;  but  the  win- 
ter was  nearly  over  before  any  additions  were  made  to 
the  now  diminished  number  of  believers.  The  teachers 
mourned ;  still  the  heavens  were  brass,  and  the  earth  iron. 
Christians  were  lukewarm,  and  none  seemed  to  have  power 
with  God. 

Miss  Fiske  returned  from  the  English  prayer  meeting 
Sabbath  evening,  February  18th,  in  that  desponding  state 
that  sometimes  follows  intense  and  protracted  desire,  when 
its  object  is  not  attained.  At  such  times,  the  sensibilities 
seem  paralyzed,  and  emotion  dies  of  sheer  exhaustion. 
The  pupils  had  retired ;  so  also  had  Miss  Rice ;  and  she 
was  left  alone.  Her  thoughts  brooded  over  the  state  of 
her  charge,  but  she  had  no  strength  to  rise  and  carry  those 
precious  souls  to  Christ.  She  could  not  sleep,  and  yet  so 
shrunk  from  the  duties  of  the  morrow,  that  she  longed  for 
a  lengthening  out  of  the  night,  rather  than  the  approach 
of  dawn.  Eleven  o'clock  struck,  and  there  was  a  knock  at 
the  door.  Could  she  open  it?  Must  she  see  another  face 
that  night?     She  did  open  it,  and  there  stood  one  of  her 


SUBSEQUENT   REVIVALS.  145 

pupils,  not  so  without  feeling  as  her  fainting  heart  had 
imagined.  Struck  by  the  languor  of  her  teacher's  looks, 
she  inquired  tenderly,  "  Are  you  very  tired  ?  "  "  No,  not 
very;  why  do  you  ask?"  "I  cannot  sleep;  our  school 
has  been  resting  on  me  all  day,  and  I  thought  perhaps  you 
would  help  me  to  pray."  The  spell  was  broken ;  the  dry 
fountain  of  feeling  gushed  out  afresh,  and,  with  a  full 
heart,  she  said,  "  Come  in,  thou  blessed  of  the  Lord."  As 
an  angel  from  heaven,  that  dear  pupil  strengthened  her 
teacher  that  night,  and  together  they  carried  the  whole 
household  to  Jesus.  When  at  length  she  retired,  all  was 
sweetly  left  with  Christ,  and  he  whispered  peace.  She  could 
sleep  now,  and  when  morning  came  there  was  still  peace. 
"  Could  ye  not  watch  with  me  one  hour  ?  "  was  the  word 
spoken  to  her  as  she  arose ;  and  hardly  had  she  repeated  it 
at  morning  prayers,  before  three,  in  different  parts  of  the 
room,  were  weeping.  She  said  little,  for  she  felt  it  safer  to 
go  and  tell  Jesus  their  wants  and  their  unworthiness.  All 
day,  the  feeling  in  the  school  was  subdued  and  tender. 
No  one  asked,  "  What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved  ? "  but  there 
was  quiet  at  the  table,  and  quiet  in  the  rooms.  The  work 
was  done  willingly  and  well,  but  in  silence,  and  the  voice 
of  prayer  in  the  closets  was  gentle.  Tuesday  passed  in 
almost  perfect  stillness.  No  one  said  even,  "  Pray  for  me." 
Towards  evening,  Miss  Fiske  said,  "  If  there  is  one  who 
wants  first  of  all  to  attend  to  her  eternal  interests,  I  would 
like  to  see  her  at  half  past  eight  o'clock."  At  that  hour, 
her  door  opened,  and  one  entered  alone ;  then  another  and 
another,  each  alone,  till  the  room  was  full.  She  closed 
the  door,  but  still  they  came.  What  were  her  feelings 
when  she  looked  round  on  twenty-three,  sitting  with 
their  heads  bowed  down  in  silence?  She  said  little,  for 
she  felt  that  they  wanted  to  hear  God,  rather  than  man, 
13 


148  WOMAN    AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 

and  the  parable  of  the  prodigal  son  that  evening  seemed 
to  come  fresh  from  the  lips  of  Jesus. 

Next  day,  each  lesson  was  recited  in  its  season,  and 
recited  well;  but  tears  blurred  many  a  page,  and  at  recess 
not  a  few  went  to  be  alone  with  God.  At  eleven  o'clock, 
Mr.  Perkins  came  in  as  usual  to  sing  with  them.  "  Bar- 
timeus "  was  the  first  hymn.  All  began  it ;  but  some 
voices  faltered  on  the  first  stanza,  more  on  the  second,  and 
soon  the  leader's  voice  was  heard  alone.  He  took  up  the 
Bible  lying  on  the  desk,  and  saying,  "  Perhaps  some  wan- 
derer would  like  now  to  arise  and  go  to  her  heavenly 
Father,"  he  too  read  the  portion  of  the  night  before,  and 
led  in  prayer.  The  teachers  had  to  lengthen  the  intermis- 
sion at  noon,  because  they  could  not  bear  to  summon  the 
pupils  so  early  from  their  closets. 

Tbe  mission  met  that  afternoon  in  the  Seminary.  Mr. 
Stoddard  came  down  from  Seir  covered  with  snow,  saying, 
in  his  pleasant  way,  as  he  opened  the  door,  "We  have 
snowed  down  this  time ; "  but  when  he  learned  the  state 
of  things,  he  said,  very  tenderly,  "  You  must  have  thought 
my  speech  untimely  ;  I  did  not  know  God  was  so  near;  but 
my  heart  is  with  you,  and  I  hope  we  both  shall  have  a 
large  blessing."  That  meeting  was  almost  all  prayer,  and 
the  weeks  that  followed  it  witnessed  a  work  silent  but 
deep.  It  was  characterized  by  humble  contrition,  and  much 
simple  dependence  on  Christ.  Most  of  those  twenty-three, 
before  the  close  of  the  term,  were  hoping  in  his  mercy. 

Three  missionary  children  were  among  the  converts  in 
this  revival,  and  their  conversion  did  much  good  to  the 
Nestorians;  for,  though  they  had  felt  their  own  need  of 
regeneration,  they  were  in  doubt  about  the  children  of 
pious  parents;  but  when  they  saw  the  children  of  mis- 
sionaries weep  over  sin,  and  come  as  lost  sinners  to  the 


SUBSEQUENT  REVIVALS.  147 

Saviour,  they  understood  as  never  before  that  the  entrance 
into  the  kingdom  was  the  same  for  all. 

At  this  time,  the  English  ambassador  passed  through 
Oroomiah ;  and  though,  when  he  and  his  suite  visited  the 
Seminary,  there  was  some  apprehension  felt  as  to  the  effect 
it  might  have  on  the  religious  interests  of  the  pupils,  they 
not  only  did  themselves  credit,  in  the  examination  he  made 
of  the  school,  but  returned  from  the  interview  with  their 
relish  for  spiritual  things  undiminished.  Indeed,  the  event, 
which  ordinarily  would  have  been  more  than  a  nine  days' 
wonder,  caused  scarce  a  ripple  on  the  deep  current  of  spir- 
itual emotion. 

The  Seminary  was  again  blessed  in  1857,  and  the  year 
following  Miss  Fiske  returned  from  Seir  after  the  funeral 
of  Harriet  Stoddard  to  welcome  several  who  had  entered 
the  fold  of  the  good  Shepherd  during  her  absence. 

The  labors  of  Miss  Rice,  who  had  charge  of  the  school 
(while  she  was  away,)  have  also  been  blessed  in  each  of  the 
four  succeeding  years.  During  that  time,  eighteen  of  the 
pupils  have  been  received  to  the  communion.  The  revival 
in  the  winter  of  1861-62  was,  however,  more  interesting 
and  extensive. 

At  one  meeting  in  the  Male  Seminary,  the  young  men 
burst  into  tears  while  singing  the  hymn,  "  Alas,  and  did  my 
Saviour  bleed  ? "  and  soon  after,  in  the  Saturday  evening 
meeting,  Miss  Rice's  whole  school  were  bowed  in  earnest 
prayer,  and  did  not  move  for  some  time  when  requested  by 
her  to  retire  for  private  devotion.  On  this  occasion,  Mr. 
Cobb  writes,  "It  was  my  privilege  to  speak  a  word  to 
them,  and  I  can  truly  say  that  I  never  saw  such  a  scene 
before,  as,  with  heads  bowed  down  on  their  desks,  unable 
wholly  to  repress  their  sobs,  they  listened,  and  again  en- 
gaged in  prayer."    Even  then,  it  was  only  after  repeated 


148  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

requests  that  they  went  to  their  own  rooms,  where  many 
continued  their  supplications  far  into  the  night. 

The  interesting  scenes  of  these  awakenings  are  thus 
gratefully  recalled  by  Sanum,  a  convert  of  the  first  revival, 
in  a  letter  dated  Salmas,  June  6th,  1859  :  — 

Beloved  Teacher,  Miss  Fiske  :  I  received  your 
priceless  letter  with  many  tears  of  joy,  and  when  I  read 
your  loving,  motherly  counsels,  my  heart  was  full ;  it  was 
drawn  to  you  with  inexpressible  love;  and  when  you 
reminded  me  of  those  blessed  revivals,  my  eyes  were  dark- 
ened with  floods  of  tears,  so  that,  for  a  time,  I  could  not 
read.  How  can  I  ever  forget  the  first  night  that  you  met 
me,  after  the  Lord  had  touched  my  heart,  in  that  blessed 
room  ?  or  how  many  times  you  took  me  by  the  hand,  and 
led  me  to  the  throne  of  grace  ?  Often  I  was  in  the  dark, 
and  the  Lord,  through  you,  was  pleased  to  give  me  rest. 
Can  I  ever  forget,  when  the  hand  of  the  Lord  rested  on  me 
in  the  death  of  my  dear  children,1  how  many  times  you 
came  as  an  angel  of  peace  to  wipe  away  my  tears  ?  Shall 
I  ever  forget  the  Lord's  coming  among  us  by  the  still  rain 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  ?  or  those  meetings  of  the  sisters  for 
prayer?  or  those  tearful  pleadings  in  the  closets?  Can  I 
ever  forget  the  fervent  supplications  and  preaching  of 
blessed  Mr.  Stocking,  and  how  he  begged  us  to  flee  from 
the  wrath  to  come  ?  If  I  forget  these,  let  my  right  hand 
forget  her  cunning,  and  my  tongue  cleave  to  the  roof  of 
my  mouth. 

It  is  a  year,  my  beloved,  since  I  have  been  able  to  go 
to  Oroomiah.  I  have  sorrowed  greatly  to  be  cut  off  so 
long  from  the  supper  of  our  Lord,  and  them  that  meet 
around  his  table.     Perhaps  it  is  because  I  am  not  worthy 

1  Page  165. 


SUBSEQUENT   REVIVALS.  149 

of  the  blessing.    The  Lord  mercifully  grant  that  I  be  not 
cut  off  from  the  heavenly  supper  of  the  Lamb. 

Our  work  here  is  much  as  before.  I  grieve  to  say  that 
there  are  few  with  whom  I  can  pray,  and  in  the  few  cases 
where  I  can  do  so,  it  must  be  done  as  by  stealth.  But 
there  are  those  with  whom  I  can  talk.  Hoimer  and  I  have 
a  meeting  for  the  women  every  Sabbath,  and  on  other  days. 
Every  Tuesday,  Hoimer,  Raheel,  and  I  have  a  little  meet- 
ing together,  and  it  is  very  pleasant,  but  will  be  more  so 
when  the  Lord  shall  increase  our  number.  O  that  we 
longing  ones  might  see  that  day,  and  our  troubled  hearts 
rejoice ! 

During  the  nineteen  years  since  the  Seminary  was  estab- 
lished, it  has  enjoyed,  in  all,  twelve  revivals;  and  though 
it  is  not  desirable  to  count  up  the  results  of  human  labors, 
it  is  due  to  the  praise  of  divine  grace  to  record,  that  out  of 
those  who  have  been  connected  with  it,  as  many  as  two 
thirds  have,  in  the  judgment  of  charity,  been  created  anew 
in  Christ  Jesus. 

13* 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

DARK   DAYS. 

SEMINARY  BROKEN  UP  IN  1844. — DEACON  ISAAC.  —  PERSECUTION  BY 
MAR  SHIMON.  —  FUNERAL  OF  DAUGHTER  OF  PRIEST  ESHOO.  —  DEA- 
CON    GUWERGIS. ATTEMPT    AT    ABDUCTION     OF     PUPIL. PERIL     OF 

SCHOOL. MRS.    HARRIET    STODDARD. YAHYA     KHAN. ANARCHY. 

—  LETTER    FROM    BABILO. 

The  Nestorian  mission  has  encountered  less  opposition 
than  other  missions  in  Western  Asia.  Yet  here,  also,  they 
who  would  live  godly  in  Christ  Jesus  have  suffered  perse- 
cution. On  June  19th,  1844,  the  brothers  of  Mar  Shimon 
issued  this  order :  "  Be  it  known  to  you  all,  ye  readers  at 
Seir,  that  if  ye  do  not  come  to  us  to-morrow,  we  will  ex- 
communicate you  from  our  most  holy  church ;  your  finger 
nails  shall  be  torn  out ;  we  will  hunt  you  from  village  to 
village,  and  kill  you  if  we  can."  Miss  Fiske  was  spending 
the  summer  there  with  her  pupils,  and  it  was  not  deemed 
best  to  provoke  further  trouble  by  retaining  them.  When 
told  of  this,  they  all  wept  aloud.  Nor  did  they  weep 
alone.  Their  teacher,  and  the  family  of  Mr.  Stocking, 
in  which  they  lived,  could  not  restrain  their  tears.  It 
seemed  as  if  the  girls  would  never  tear  themselves  away 
from  their  teacher ;  and  when  at  length  they  departed, 
again  and  again  the  lamentation  arose,  "We  shall  never 
hear  the  word  of  God  again."  Miss  Fiske  laid  them  at 
the  feet  of  Jesus,  trusting  that  he  would  bring  them  back 
to  her,  and  others  with  them.     A  German  Jew,  who  was 

(150) 


DARK   DAYS.  151 

present,  said  in  his  broken  English,  "  I  have  seen  much  bad 
to  missionaries  in  other  countries,  but  nothing  bad  like 
this,  to  take  little  children  from  words  of  Jesus  Christ." 

Even  Deacon  Isaac,  a  brother  of  Mar  Shimon,  who  was 
prominent  in  the  act,  was  ashamed  of  it.  On  a  visit  to  the 
school,  eight  years  afterwards,  he  asked  leave  to  speak  to 
the  pupils,  and  said,  "  My  young  friends,  I  want  you  to  do 
all  you  can  to  help  your  teachers,  for  I  once  troubled  Miss 
Fiske,  and  it  has  made  my  life  bitter  ever  since."  Here 
the  good  man  broke  down,  and  there  was  not  a  dry  eye 
among  his  hearers ;  while  he  added,  "  I  have  vowed  before 
God  that  I  will  do  all  that  I  can  to  help  her  as  long  as  I 
live."  And  all  who  know  him  can  testify  that  he  has  kept 
his  word,  ever  since  his  conversion  in  1849.  When  he  first 
began  to  be  thoughtful,  he  heard  that  one  of  the  pupils  was 
in  the  habit  of  praying  for  him.  He  sent  for  her,  and  in- 
sisted on  her  praying  with  him ;  and  though  he  was  the 
most  intelligent  of  the  Nestorians,  and  possessed  of  rare 
force  of  character,  and  Sarah  was  more  noted  for  devotion, 
than  for  her  mental  powers,  yet  he  learned  from  her  in  a 
most  childlike  spirit;  and  that  scripture  which  says,  "A 
little  child  shall  lead  them,"  found  in  this  case  a  beautiful 
illustration. 

He  has  been  occasionally  employed  in  the  school,  and 
always  proved  a  very  useful  and  acceptable  teacher. 
When  he  bade  Miss  Fiske  good  by,  in  1858,  he  said, 
"You  may  rest  assured  that  I  will  do  all  I  can  for  the 
women  till  you  come  back ; "  and  the  next  Sabbath  found 
him  teaching  a  class  of  adult  females.  In  our  favored  land, 
the  grace  of  God  has  made  it  nothing  strange  for  the  gov- 
ernor of  a  state  to  be  a  teacher  in  the  Sabbath  school ;  but 
one  who  has  not  lived  in  Persia  can  form  no  idea  of  what 
it  is  for  a  brother   of  Mar  Shimon   to   teach   a   class   of 


152  WOMAN   AND   HEB   SAVIOUR. 

women.  He  has  great  skill  in  bringing  out  the  meaning 
of  Scripture,  and  is  every  where  exceedingly  acceptable  as 
a  Bible  teacher.  Along  with  unfeigned  piety,  he  has  more 
real  refinement  than  any  of  his  countrymen,  and  few 
Nestorians  can  show  kindness  with  such  true  delicacy  of 
feeling. 

The  health  of  Miss  Fiske  was  so  impaired  in  the  spring 
of  1848,  that  she  reluctantly  yielded  to  the  advice  of  the 
mission,  and  went  with  Mr.  Stocking  to  Erzroom,  to  meet 
Mr.  Cochran  and  family,  then  on  their  way  to  Persia. 
When  they  returned,  they  found  Mr.  Stoddard's  health  so 
seriously  affected  by  long-continued  over-exertion,  that  he 
only  awaited  their  arrival  to  leave  for  Trebizond.  Little 
did  they  dream  that  it  was  Mrs.  Stoddard's  last  farewell  to 
the  scene  of  her  labors. 

Nor  was  this  all.  The  patriarch  Mar  Shimon,  who  had 
long  worn  the  guise  of  friendship,  now  threw  off  the  mask. 
He  broke  up  schools  in  small  and  distant  villages,  and 
secured  the  beating  of  a  man  by  the  governor  on  the 
charge  of  apostasy.  The  Female  Seminary  was  honored 
with  his  special  anathema.  "Has  Miss  Fiske  taught  you 
this  ?  "  was  his  frequent  demand  of  those  who  fell  into  his 
hands,  followed  by  such  reviling  as  only  an  Oriental  could 
pour  forth. 

On  the  morning  of  July  28th,  the  infant  daughter  of 
Priest  Eshoo,  named  Sarah,  after  her  sainted  sister,  lay  on 
her  death  bed ;  and  to  punish  her  father  for  his  preaching, 
Mar  Shimon  forbade  her  burial  in  the  Nestorian  grave- 
yard. He  collected  a  mob  ready  to  do  his  bidding  as 
soon  as  she  should  die ;  but  she  lingered  on,  and  so  disap- 
pointed him  for  that  day.  Next  day  she  died,  and  at  once 
he  anathematized  all  who  should  assist  in  her  burial.  A 
pious    carpenter,   however,   forced   his   way   through    the 


DARK   DAYS.  153 

mob,  and  made  her  coffin.  He  remained  steadfast  through- 
out the  storm,  replying  to  every  dissuasion  of  his  friends, 
"  I  must  go  forward,  even  to  the  shedding  of  my  blood." 

The  missionaries  appealed  to  a  former  governor,  who 
owned  that  part  of  the  city,  for  leave  to  bury  in  the  cem- 
etery used  by  the  Nestorians  from  time  immemorial ;  but 
the  patriarch  paid  no  attention  to  his  messages,  and  the 
child  remained  unburied.  Miss  Fiske  wrote,  "As  we  look 
out  on  this  troubled  sea,  and  sympathize  with  these  afflicted 
parents,  we  love  to  look  up  and  think  of  the  dear  child  as 
sweetly  resting  on  the  bosom  of  the  Saviour.  May  the 
Sabbath  bring  us  a  foretaste  of  heavenly  rest."  But  it 
found  them  still  "where  storms  arise  and  ocean  rolls." 
The  governor  sent  men  to  demand  the  digging  of  a  grave, 
which  the  mob  would  not  allow.  Meanwhile,  the  profligate 
Mar  Gabriel  craftily  suggested  that  a  promise  from  the 
priest  not  to  preach  any  more,  might  end  the  trouble. 
"  Never,"  was  the  prompt  reply.  "  Let  my  dead  remain 
unburied,  but  I  will  not  go  back  from  the  service  of  the 
Lord."  This  so  enraged  the  patriarch,  that,  for  the  sake  of 
peace,  the  governor  advised  to  bury  the  body  in  one  of 
the  villages.  The  sorrowing  parents  then  locked  their 
house,  and  leaving  their  babe  alone  in  its  slumbers,  went  to 
the  chapel.  There  they  found  comfort  from  a  sermon  on 
the  text,  "  Through  much  tribulation  we  must  enter  into 
the  kingdom  of  God."  About  twenty  men  returned  with 
them  to  the  house.  Then  one  bearing  the  little  coffin  went 
before ;  the  rest  followed,  singing  the  forty-sixth  Psalm. 
Even  Moslems  gazed  with  wonder,  as  they  passed  close  by 
the  door  of  the  patriarch,  and  went  out  of  the  city  gate. 
The  engraving  (page  154)  gives  a  very  good  representation 
of  this  gate.  On  the  green  hill-side  at  Seir  the  little  one 
was   laid  to  rest,  and   the  father,  thanking  the  company 


154 


WOMAN   AND   HER  SAVIOUR. 


for  their  kindness,  hastened  them  back,  to  be  in  time  for 
the  afternoon  service. 

In  the  mean  time,  Mar  Shimon  sent  far  and  near,  forbid- 
ding all  intercourse  with  the  missionaries.     At  Geog  Tapa, 


SEIR    GATE,    OKOOMIAH. 


in  the  absence  of  the  Malik,  he  ordered  an  old  man,  who 
formerly  held  that  office,  to  summon  the  people  before  him. 
Only  a  few  vagrants  obeyed,  and  these  he  commanded  to 
break  up  the  schools,  and  prevent  preaching  in  the  church. 
So,  that  evening,  when  John  commenced  preaching,  they 
proceeded  to  execute  their  orders ;  but,  afraid  to  face  the 
determined  people,  they  deferred  the  attack  till  the  hearers 
passed  out;  and  then,  like  stanch  old  Puritans,  hardly 
noticing  them,  the  congregation  wended  their  way  home- 
wards, singing  psalms  as  they  went. 

The  patriarch  now  excommunicated  Mar  Yohanan,  and 
made  common  cause  with  the  French  Lazarists.     He  even 


DARK   DAYS.  155 

wrote  a  fraternal  epistle  to  the  pope,  ready  for  any  thing, 
if  he  could  only  crush  the  mission.  His  attendants 
marched  about  the  mission  premises  with  loud  threats ; 
pious  Nestorians  were  knocked  down  in  the  streets;  while 
his  brother  Isaac  went  to  a  distant  village,  to  show  that  he 
had  no  sympathy  with  such  iniquity. 

Soon  after,  the  carpenter  who  made  the  coffin  was 
severely  beaten  by  his  own  father  for  attending  a  pi-ayer 
meeting.  As  the  blows  fell  thick  and  fast,  he  cried,  "  Must 
this  come  from  my  own  father  ?  "  But  he  remained  firm, 
and  next  day  went  to  the  chapel  pale  and  weak,  but  filled 
with  holy  joy. 

Deacon  Guwergis,  prevented  from  going  to  the  moun- 
tains,—  for  the  Koords  sided  with  Mar  Shimon,  —  fear- 
lessly encountered  the  revilings  of  the  patriarch  in  his  own 
house,  and  told  him  that  he  hoped  to  continue  preaching 
till  he  died.  His  countenance  must  have  shone  like  Ste- 
phen's, for  his  persecutor  said  to  one  of  the  attendants, 
"  See  how  his  face  glistens.  If  he  is  so  bold  here,  what 
will  he  be  in  the  mountains  ?  "  Well  might  a  missionary 
write,  "What  a  blessing  are  such  men!  The  sight  of 
them  is  worth  ten  thousand  times  the  sacrifices  made  by 
us  all." 

Though  this  was  vacation,  fifteen  of  the  pupils  remained 
in  the  Seminary  for  protection  during  the  storm ;  yet  even 
there  they  were  not  wholly  safe.  On  the  25th  of  August, 
a  messenger  came  in  haste  for  one  of  them,  saying  that  her 
dying  brother  wished  to  see  her  immediately.  As  the  man 
was  her  relative,  the  girl  was  ready  to  go  at  once ;  but 
providentially  Miss  Fiske  learned  that  the  brother  was 
well,  and  the  messenger  had  been  seen  last  with  Mar 
Shimon.  So  he  left,  chagrined  and  enraged  at  his  failure. 
The  patriarch  had  told  him  to  be  sure  and  hide  his  pur- 


156  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

pose  from  that  Satan,  Miss  Fiske,  and  in  case  of  failure,  to 
take  the  girl  by  force.  But  the  teacher  had  had  some 
experience  in  guarding  her  fold,  and  both  she  and  her 
pupil  were  thankful  for  the  deliverance.  Next  day,  Mar 
Shimon  forbade  preaching  in  Geog  Tapa;  but  if  the  church 
was  closed,  the  house-toj^s  remained  open.  The  same  day, 
the  school  in  Vizierawa  was  repeatedly  dispersed,  but  each 
time  reassembled  by  the  teacher. 

The  28th  of  this  month  was  such  a  day  as  the  mission 
had  never  seen  before.  In  the  forenoon,  the  teacher  from 
Charbash  fled  wounded  from  the  servants  of  Mar  Shimon 
to  the  mission  premises.  Scarcely  had  he  entered,  when 
his  brother  came  in,  having  escaped  from  similar  violence. 
The  Moslem  owner  of  the  village  had  to  put  a  stop  to  the 
tearing  down  of  their  house. 

Miss  Fiske  and  Miss  Rice  had  just  sat  down  to  dinner 
with  the  school,  when  the  cry,  "  A  man  is  killed ! "  was 
followed  by  a  rush  from  all  parts  of  the  yard.  A  mob  at 
the  gate  was  trying  to  break  in  and  seize  the  native  help- 
ers. Mar  Yohanan  was  wounded,  and  all  was  confusion. 
The  teachers  exhorted  their  little  flock  not  to  count  their 
lives  dear  to  them,  for  Jesus'  sake.  Haj)pily,  they  were  not 
called  to  such  a  test  of  discipleship ;  but  the  sympathies 
of  the  Moslems  were  plainly  with  Mar  Shimon,  and  no 
one  knew  what  a  day  might  bring  forth.  That  tried  friend 
of  the  mission,  R.  W.  Stevens,  Esq.,  English  consul  at  Ta- 
breez,  feared  lest  the  missionaries  should  fall  by  the  hand 
of  violence.  Miss  Fiske  writes,  "Our  native  friends  will 
doubtless  suffer  much,  and  we  rejoice  to  share  with  them. 
We  hope  that  fears  on  our  account  will  not  be  realized. 
Still  there  is  danger ;  and  we  try  to  be  ready  for  life  or 
death,  as  our  Father  sees  best.  Though  in  a  land  of  vio- 
lence, we  are  not  unhappy ;  we  trust  in  God,  and  hope  this 


DARK   DAYS.  157 

vine  is  being  pruned  that  it  may  bring  forth  more  fruit. 
We  would  have  all  the  gracious  designs  of  God  fulfilled, 
even  though  we  should  be  cast  down." 

The  same  day  came  tidings  of  the  death  of  Mrs.  Stod- 
dard, at  Trebizond,  and  Miss  Fiske  wrote  that  night  an 
account  of  it  to  her  former'  teacher,  at  South  Hadley, 
adding,  "  Precious  sister :  she  died  far  away ;  but  my 
Father  knows  why  I  might  not  stand  by  that  dying  bed, 
and  I  would  submit,  though  my  heart  bleeds.  Our  homes 
are  sad  to-night,  and  there  is  many  a  weeping  eye  among 
those  for  whom  she  toiled  so  faithfully.  From  my  first 
acquaintance  with  her,  she  has  been  to  me  all  that  mortal 
could  be.  Her  heart  was  tenderly  alive  to  the  spiritual 
interests  of  the  dear  Nestorians ;  and  to'them  she  devoted 
all  her  powers.  It  was  she  who  first  taught  their  daugh- 
ters to  sing  the  songs  of  Zion.  Few,  probably,  have 
accomplished  so  much  in  so  short  a  life.  Her  family,  the 
mission,  the  Seminary,  and  all  about  us,  shared  in  her  un- 
tiring labors.  As  truly  as  of  dear  Mrs.  Grant  may  it  be 
said  of  her,  '  She  hath  done  what  she  could.' 

"  Like  Mrs.  Grant,  she  was  the  youngest  member  of  the 
mission  at  the  time  of  her  death.  When  she  left  her 
native  land,  some  almost  regretted  that  so  frail  a  flower 
should  go  forth  to  encounter  the  hardships  of  missionary 
life ;  but  she  did  much,  and  did  it  well.  The  Seminary  in 
Seir  still  bears  the  impress  she  stamped  upon  it.  Her 
memory  is  not  only  fragrant  to-day  among  the  Nestorians, 
but  it  draws  them  nearer  to  Christ,  and  renders  them  more 
efficient  in  his  service." 

Mar  Shimon  now  made  common  cause  with  the  Persian 
nobility.  The  English  and  Russian  ambassadors  had  pro- 
cured the  appointment  of  Dawood  Khan  as  governor  of 
the  Christians  in  Oroomiah,  in  order  to  protect  them  from 
14 


158  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

illegal  oppression.  The  nobility  of  course  opposed  this ; 
and  Mar  Shimon,  by  promising  his  aid  in  the  removal  of 
the  protector  of  his  own  people,  secured  their  cooperation 
in  his  wickedness.  The  converts  were  now  insulted  at 
every  turn.  They  could  hardly  appear  in  the  street,  and 
the  authorities  afforded  no  redress.  The  missionaries  had 
no  earthly  friend  nearer  than  Mr.  Stevens  at  Tabreez,  who 
did  all  he  could  for  them  ;  and  the  pious  natives  felt  shut 
up  to  God  as  their  only  refuge. 

Yahya  Khan,  the  governor  of  the  province,  now  wrote 
urging  on  Mar  Shimon,  and  ordered  his  agent  in  Oroomiah 
to  aid  him  to  the  utmost  of  his  power.  As  Yahya  Khan 
was  brother-in-law  to  the  king,  he  was  able  to  do  the  mis- 
sion much  harm  at  the  court;  and  the  patriarch,  encour- 
aged by  such  a  coadjutor,  set  himself  with  renewed  zeal  to 
destroy  it ;  but  in  September,  the  prince  royal  summoned 
him  to  Tabreez,  and,  the  nobility  hardly  daring  to  resist 
the  order,  he  was  reluctantly  preparing  to  comply,  when 
news  came  of  the  death  of  the  shah,  and  all  was  confusion. 
The  missionaries  had  been  praying  for  help  against  their 
dreaded  enemy,  Yahya  Khan,  and  lo !  his  power  to  harm 
them  perished  with  his  master. 

The  night  after  the  news  reached  Oroomiah,  anarchy 
reigned,  and  all  kinds  of  crime  abounded.  Five  men  were 
killed  near  the  mission  premises,  and  the  firing  of  guns 
was  heard  all  night  long ;  but  though  outside  were  rob- 
beries and  murders,  within  that  enclosure  all  was  peace. 
Though  its  inmates  knew  that  the  fanatical  population 
would  gladly  stone  them,  yet  they  felt  it  a  privilege  to 
labor  on  under  the  care  of  the  Keeper  of  Israel. 

In  Persia,  no  king,  no  government ;  so  besides  this 
anarchy  in  the  city,  the  Koords  came  down  and  plun- 
dered many  villages,  burning  the  houses  and  driving  the 


DARK   DAYS.  159 

people  for  shelter  to  Oroomiah.  These  strokes  fell  most 
heavily  on  the  Moslems,  many  of  whom  were  robbers 
themselves.  The  fear  of  an  attack  on  Seir  was  at  one 
time  so  great,  that  tbe  ladies  were  sent  off,  and  the  gentle- 
men remained  alone  to  guard  the  mission  premises;  but 
both  in  Seir  and  the  city  the  houses  of  the  missionaries 
were  thronged  by  multitudes  seeking  relief,  and  each  ap- 
proaching footstep  announced  some  new  tale  of  woe. 

Mar  Shimon,  after  the  death  of  the  king,  prudently 
retired  into  Turkey,  and  his  servants  were  put  under 
bonds  to  keep  the  peace.  The  Koords,  however,  drove 
him  back,  later  in  the  season,  but  stripped  of  his  power  to 
persecute.  It  may  sound  like  the  close  of  a  tale  of  fiction 
to  add,  that  the  next  time  Miss  Fiske  met  the  patriarch 
was  in  Gawar,  August,  1851,  when  he  rode  up  to  the  tents 
of  the  missionaries  to  inquire  after  their  health,  before  he 
went  to  his  own.  He  staid  an  hour  and  a  half,  appearing 
more  free  and  social  than  ever  before  ;  and  when  they 
returned  his  visit,  he  came  out  of  his  tent  to  meet  them, 
and  treated  them  with  unusual  respect,  saying,  in  the 
course  of  the  interview,  "I  fear  that  Miss  Fiske  is  not 
happy  here :  she  does  not  look  well."  On  being  assured 
that  she  was  both  well  and  happy,  he  said  to  his  attend- 
ants, "This  lady  is  happy  only  as  she  has  a  number  of 
Nestorian  girls  around  her,  eating  care  *  for  them,  teaching 
and  doing  them  good."  So,  when  our  Avays  please  the 
Lord,  he  maketh  even  our  enemies  to  be  at  peace  with  us. 

Babilo,  the  carpenter,  who  made  the  coffin  for  the  child 
of  Priest  Eshoo,  was  taught  to  read  by  the  younger  girls 
in  the  Seminary  after  school  hours,  and  thus  writes  to  Miss 
Fiske,  November  20th,  1859:  — 

*-  This  is  the  Nestorian  idiom.     We  say,  "  taking  care  of  them." 


160  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

"I  remember  how,  thirteen  years  ago,  in  that  trouble 
with  Mar  Shimon,  when  my  father  beat  me  for  attending 
meeting,  and  men  despitefully  used  me,  dear  Mr.  Stocking 
and  you  comforted  me  in  the  great  room.  I  shall  never 
forget  your  love.  Give  my  love  to  your  dear  mother,  who 
so  loved  us  that  she  willingly  gave  you  to  the  Lord,  as 
Hannah  did  Samuel. 

"If  you  inquire  about  my  work  in  the  city  Sabbath 
school, — I  teach  a  class  of  ten  women;  three  of  them,  I 
trust,  are  Christians.  When  I  read  your  letter  to  them  they 
greatly  rejoiced.  I  reminded  them  of  the  meetings  you 
used  to  have  for  them  in  your  room,  and  their  eyes  filled 
with  tears.  In  the  afternoon  I  went  to  Charbash,  and  read 
your  letter  to  the  eighteen  women  in  my  class  there. 
They,  too,  were  very  glad.  Five  of  them,  I  trust,  are 
Christians.  We  are  now  studying  Second  Timothy.  After 
the  lesson,  I  question  them  on  Old  Testament  history; 
and  then  I  teach  the  women  and  their  children  to  sing." 


CHAPTER    XV. 

TRIALS. 

EVIL    INFLUENCE  OF  HOMES.  —  OPPOSITION    IN    DEGALA. ASK.ER    KHAN. 

—  POISONING     OF     SANUM'S      CHILDREN.  —  REDRESS     REFUSED.  —  IN- 
QUISITOR   IN    SCHOOL.  TROUBLES  AT    KHOSRAWA.  LETTERS    FROJI 

HOIMAR. 

But,  aside  from  open  persecution,  there  is  a  constant 
clanger  arising  froni  the  people  themselves.  The  teacher 
in  a  Christian  land  can  never  fully  understand  the  feelings 
of  the  missionary  teacher.  The  one  sends  forth  his  pupils 
to  meet  Christian  parents,  brothers  and  sisters,  who,  with 
more  than  a  teacher's  love,  lead  the  young  convert  by  still 
waters,  and  establish  him  in  holy  feeling ;  but  the  flock  of 
the  other  goes  out  often  into  families  where  every  soul 
would  gladly  break  the  bruised  reed  and  quench  the  smok- 
ing flax.  He  can  sympathize  with  Paul  in  his  anxiety  in 
behalf  of  those  for  whom  he  had  labored  in  the  gospel. 

Sometimes  the  pupils  of  the  Seminary  so  dreaded  the 
scenes  of  home,  in  vacation,  that  they  preferred  to  remain 
in  the  school. 

In  April,  1849,  Miss  Fiske  visited  the  village  of  Degala. 
As  it  was  a  holiday,  most  of  the  women  had  gone  out  for 
amusement ;  but  a  little  company  of  twelve  praying  ones 
gathered  around  her,  and  listened  in  tears  while  she  spoke 
of  Jesus  and  his  love.  Their  fervent  prayers  for  neighbors 
and  friends  made  her  feel  that  a  blessing  was  yet  in  store 
14*  (161) 


162  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

for  Degala.  These  women  suffered  all  sorts  of  insult  for 
their  attachment  to  the  truth ;  they  were  often  beaten  and 
driven  from  their  homes  by  their  husbands.  While  the 
pupils  of  the  Seminary  were  here,  some  of  their  own  sex 
did  all  they  could  to  annoy  them.  But  read  an  account  of 
their  trials  from  the  pen  of  Sanum,  of  Gawar.  She  writes 
to  a  friend  in  this  country, — 

"  I  had  bitter  times  this  vacation,  for  our  neighbors  are 
all  very  hard-hearted,  not  listening  at  all  to  the  words  of 
God.  When  I  opened  my  Testament  to  read  to  them,  they 
would  shut  it,  and  begin  to  quarrel  about  the  forms  of 
religion.  I  entreat  you  to  pray  for  my  village,  that  I, 
so  unworthy,  may  see  its  salvation. 

"One  day,  Miss  Fiske  went  to  the  village  of  Degab, 
where  is  a  band  of  women  who  greatly  love  the  Lord. 
They  gathered  about  her,  and  she  had  a  very  pleasant 
time.  All  these  were  inquiring  what  they  should  do  to  be 
saved.  She  could  not  stay  long  with  them  ;  but  they  were 
so  humble  that  they  asked  to  have  some  of  the  girls  sent 
to  them.  So  four  of  us,  though  so  weak,  ventured  to  go  in 
the  name  of  Christ.  We  found  these  sisters  in  great  dis- 
tress, being  reviled  and  beaten  by  wicked  men,  for  Jesus'  sake 

"  We  were  speaking  in  an  upper  room  there  on  a  feast 
day,  and  the  women  with  us  were  weeping  very  much, 
while  others,  afraid  to  come  in,  seated  themselves  on  the 
terrace  by  the  window.  Suddenly  a  wicked  man  came 
with  a  rod,  and  drove  all  those  away  who  were  without. 
Poor  souls !  how  my  heart  burned  for  them!  One,  who  had 
not  been  used  to  come  to  meeting,  came  that  day  for  sport. 
She  wore  many  ornaments,  but  as  soon  as  she  heard  the 
words  of  God,  her  tears  began  to  flow.  After  meeting,  she 
arose  up  quickly,  and  threw  aside  her  ornaments,  and  fol- 
lowed us  wherever  we  went.     We  were  having  a  meeting 


TRIALS.  163 

in  another  house,  when  a  quarrelsome  woman  entered, 
having  a  large  stick  in  her  hand,  and  began  to  beat  her 
daughter  and  daughter-in-law,  and  she  carried  off  her 
daughter ;  but  the  other  remained,  though  sorely  bruised, 
saying,  '  I  will  spill  my  blood,  but  will  not  leave  the  place 
of  prayer.'  The  women  who  fear  God  wept  much  because 
this  woman  did  so. 

"  We  went  to  the  sacrament,  and  there  was  a  company 
of  women  who  separated  themselves  from  the  others,  and 
were  weeping  in  one  corner  of  the  church.  Some  very 
bad  women  came  to  them,  and  said,  '  Let  us  rise  up  and 
dance,  because  they  are  weeping.'  Another,  in  anger, 
took  the  sacrament  from  the  mouth  of  one  of  them,  and 
gave  it  to  her  little  granddaughter.  There  was  much 
confusion  in  the  village,  and  they  seemed  like  those  who 
cried,  'Great  is  Diana  of  the  Ejmesians.'  One  said, 
'I  wish  neither  Satan  nor  God,  but  only  Mar  Shimon.' 
Once,  when  we  were  assembled  with  the  women,  and  Mo- 
ressa  was  speaking,  a  wicked  man  fired  a  pistol  to  frighten 
us.  But  the  women  encouraged  us,  saying, '  Go  on,  and 
speak  louder,  that  he  may  hear.'  And  when  he  heard  my 
sister  speak  of  the  wickedness  of  man's  heart,  he  cried  out, 
'Those  words  must  have  been  for  me.  She  must  have 
known  that  I  was  there.'" 

It  does  not  fall  within  the  object  of  this  volume  to  give 
any  detailed  account  of  the  proceedings  of  Asker  Khan, 
who  for  several  years  sought  to  wear  out  the  saints  of  the 
Most  High,  causing  the  native  helpers  to  be  beaten,  fined, 
and  annoyed  in  many  ways,  and  then  arrogantly  denying 
all  redress.  Encouraged  in  his  persecutions  by  the  prime 
minister,  he  was  able  to  defy  all  interference.  Indeed, 
during  part  of  the  time,  the  English  ambassador  was  con- 
strained to  leave  the  kingdom,  and  the  Russian  ambassa- 


164  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

dor,  though  personally  disposed  to  do  all  in  his  power  for 
the  mission,  was  yet  officially  unable  to  help. 

At  one  time,  he  gave  orders  that  no  school  should  be 
opened  without  his  sanction,  and  that  all  the  teachers  must 
report  to  him ;  and  in  case  of  disobedience,  he  threatened 
them  with  fines  and  imprisonment. 

It  may  show  in  what  estimation  the  influence  of  the 
Female  Seminary  was  held  by  enemies,  when  we  find  him 
issuing  his  command,  "Allow  no  girls  to  attend  your 
school ;  schools  are  for  boys  alone  ; "  and  claiming  credit 
for  great  forbearance  because  he  did  not  at  once  break  up 
the  Seminary.  That  which  called  forth  such  opposition 
from  enemies  was  surely  not  inefficient.  There  must  have 
been  a  power  for  good  manifest  even  to  Moslem  opposers, 
that  taught  them  where  to  strike  so  as  most  effectually  to 
destroy.  But  there  was  a  Power  above  them  that  said, 
"  Thus  far,  and  no  farther."  "  The  bush  burned  with  fire, 
yet  it  was  not  consumed." 

The  evil  wrought  by  Asker  Khan  was  not  confined  to 
his  own  doings.  His  hostility,  in  a  position  so  command- 
ing, emboldened  every  Shimei  to  curse.  In  Ardishai,  two 
or  three  unprincipled  drunkards,  with  their  dissolute 
bishop  (Mar  Gabriel),  saved  themselves  from  Moham- 
medan rapacity  by  taking  part  against  the  converts.  These 
last  were  made  examples  of,  to  deter  others  from  attending 
preaching  or  sending  their  children  to  the  schools.  One 
poor  widow,  with  four  children,  —  a  most  consistent  Chris- 
tian,—  was  driven  from  her  house  by  her  father-in-law, 
because  she  allowed  her  oldest  daughter  to  attend  the 
village  school.  As  many  as  thirty  families,  unable  to  en- 
dure persecution  any  longer,  fled  from  the  village ;  and 
Priest  Abraham  himself,  after  suffering  much,  was  com- 
pelled to  leave,  though  his  congregation  was  from  one 
hundred  and  fifty  to  two  hundred  every  Sabbath. 


TRIALS.  165 

In  Dizza  Takka,  on  the  evening  of  April  20th,  1856, 
Sanum,  who  graduated  in  1'850,  had  arsenic  put  into  the 
supper  which  she  carried  to  a  neighbor's  tandoor  (native 
oven)  to  be  warmed.  Happily,  Joseph,  her  husband,  was 
delayed  beyond  his  usual  hour,  so  that  he  was  uninjured; 
and  the  quantity  of  arsenic  was  so  large,  that,  by  the 
prompt  use  of  remedies,  the  mother's  life  was  saved, 
though  her  innocent  children  suffered  severely,  and,  after 
lingering  a  few  months,  both  of  them  died.  She  rose 
from  weeping  over  their  graves,  to  serve  her  Master  more 
faithfully  than  ever.  But  Asker  Khan, — though  the  arsenic 
was  found  at  the  bottom  of  the  pot,  though  a  portion  of 
the  contents,  given  to  a  cat,  speedily  produced  convulsions 
and  death,  and  though  a  Jewess  testified  that  "the  neigh- 
bor "  had  recently  applied  to  her  husband  for  arsenic,  and 
no  one  else  had  access  to  the  vessel  where  it  was  found,  — 
instead  of  investigating  the  case,  insulted  Joseph  and  his 
friends,  and  caused  his  aged  father  to  be  beaten ;  at  the 
same  time  telling  the  people  of  Dizza  Takka  to  shoot 
Joseph  if  he  went  to  their  village  again.  Such  conduct 
emboldened  the  enemies  of  the  truth  to  complain  against 
the  more  enlightened  of  their  clergy  who  had  renounced 
many  sinful  customs,  as  forsaking  the  religion  of  their 
fathers ;  and,  with  blasphemous  threats,  they  were  ordered 
to  do  the  bidding  of  their  accusers. 

On  the  1st  of  June,  an  order  from  the  authorities  at 
Tabreez  to  Asker  Khan  was  presented  to  him  by  tho 
missionaries,  which,  after  a  calm  recital  of  the  facts  in  tho 
case  of  poisoning,  proceeded  thus :  "  As  the  person  who 
did  this  act  is  a  criminal,  and,  if  unpunished,  the  affair 
may  lead  to  the  destruction  of  life,  it  is  necessary  that  you, 
high  in  rank,  take  the  attitude  of  investigation,  and  having 
discovered  the  criminal,  that   you  punish  him,  with  the 


166  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

knowledge  of  the  Americans,  and  so  act  that  no  one, 
Christian  or  Moslem,  shall  dare  to  repeat  such  a  crime." 
This  order  was  obtained  through  the  kind  offices  of  the 
Russian  ambassador ;  but  the  criminals  were  only  detained 
a  few  days,  and  not  pressed  at  all  to  a  confession.  Asker 
Khan  then  proposed,  as  they  had  not  confessed,  that  the 
missionaries  should  intercede  for  their  release.  Of  course, 
they  refused.  Then,  saying  "that  if  he  had  known  that, 
beforehand,  he  would  not  have  touched  the  matter,  and 
that  he  could  defend  himself  at  Tabreez,"  he  dismissed  the 
accused,  and  it  was  in  vain  for  the  missionaries  to  pros- 
ecute the  matter  further. 

Indeed,  the  opposition  at  this  time  was  more  serious 
than  at  any  previous  period,  and  for  a  time  it  seemed 
as  though  the  seminaries,  and  especially  the  Female  Sem- 
inary, would  be  destroyed. 

In  the  autumn,  a  commissioner,  sent  from  Teheran  to 
examine  into  the  proceedings  of  the  mission,  made  an 
inquisitorial  visit,  and  went  all  through  the  building,  peep- 
ing into  the  chambers,  and  making  himself  and  suite  every 
where  at  home.  Coming  into  the  recitation  room,  where 
most  of  the  girls  were  engaged  in  study,  he  selected  a 
large,  robust  pupil,  who  could  speak  Turkish,  and  ques- 
tioned her  as  follows  :  — 

"  Are  you  allowed  to  follow  your  own  customs  ?  " 

"  We  follow  all  that  are  good,  but  not  such  foolish  ones 
as  you  would  not  wish  us  to  follow." 

"Do  these  ladies  let  you  see  your  friends?" 

"  Certainly ;  we  always  see  them  when  they  come  here, 
and  we  go  home  three  times  a  year,  staying,  at  one  time, 
three  months." 

"What  do  you  do  when  at  home?" 

"We  work  in  the   fields,  and  do   any  thing  that  our 


TRIALS.  167 

friends  do.     Our  teachers  tell  us  to  help  our  friends  all  we 
can,  and  are  displeased  if  we  do  not." 

"  Can  ycru  work,  or  have  you  become  Ingleez?"    (English.) 

"  Look  at  me ;  I  am  strong ;  I  can  carry  very  large  loads." 

"  What  do  you  do  here  ?  " 

"  We  study,  and  learn  all  wisdom." 

"  Are  you  allowed  to  use  your  own  books  ?  " 

"  Certainly ;  the  principal  book  of  our  religion  they  have 

printed  for  us,  and  we  use  it  more  than  any  other." 
"But  have  you  not  left  the  books  of  your  fathers?" 
"The   book   I   spoke  of  is   our  sacred  book,  like   your 

Koran,  and  we  use  all  others  that  agree  with  that." 
"  Do  you  fast  ?  " 
"  One  day  at  the  beginning  of  the  year,  and  other  days 

afterwards." 

"But  have  you  not  forsaken  some  of  your  church  fasts?" 
"  None  that  are  written  in  that  book.     I  keep  all  those 

very  carefully." 

"  What !  twice  in  the  week  ?  " 

"  No ;  for  that  is  not  required  in  the  book." 

"  But  your  people  do." 

"  Yes ;  not  being  readers,  they  do  many  things  that  are 

not  written  in  the  book." 

"Would  your  teachers  allow  you  to  fast?" 

"  O,  yes  ;  but  we  don't  want  to  fast  more  than  our  book 

requires." 

"  What  are  your  prayers  ?  " 

"  Those  taught  in  the  book." 

Then  followed  questions  about  dress,  employment,  and 

such  things,  all  of  which  she  answered  in  the  same  manner. 

The  teacher  was  very  thankful  that  the  Master  had  neither 

left  to  her  the  selection  of  the  witness,  nor  her  preparation 

for  the  examination.     But   the    examiner  expressed  very 


168  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

decided  disapproval  of  female  education,  and  held  up  their 
previous  condition  as  their  only  proper  one.  The  truth 
was,  the  Moslems  were  angry  that  their  rayahs  were  being 
elevated,  and  they  were  specially  indignant  at  the  educa- 
tion of  women. 

So  the  opposition  went  on.  Messrs  Stoddard  and 
Wright  proceeded  to  Tabreez,  and  secured  orders  for  re- 
dress ;  which,  as  usual,  were  counteracted  by  secret  orders 
to  the  contrary.  The  native  helpers  were  now  beaten 
because  they  were  in  the  employ  of  the  mission  :  some 
were  thrown  into  jjrison,  and  threatened  with  being  sent 
to  Teheran  in  irons.  But  when  the  Lord  saw  that  the 
wrath  of  man  had  proceeded  far  enough,  he  restrained  the 
remainder  thereof.  For  one  of  the  leading  spirits  in  this 
onset  on  the  mission  fell  under  the  daggers  of  the  Koords, 
and  his  death  at  once  called  off  attention  from  missionary 
operations  to  other  things. 

Again,  in  January,  1858,  two  pious  residents  at  Khosro- 
wa,  in  the  province  of  Salmas,  were  shamefully  oppressed ; 
and  when  application  was  made  for  redress,  Asker  Khan 
not  only  refused  to  adjudicate  the  matter,  but  beat  one  of 
the  complainants  so  severely  that  he  was  confined  to  his 
bed  for  weeks.  Still  later,  after  urgent  importunity  from 
Nestorians  and  nominal  Papists,  two  very  able  and  excel- 
lent men,  Deacons  Joseph  and  Siyad,  were  sent  to  labor  in 
that  distant  province.  On  one  occasion  they  entered  the 
village  of  Khosrowa  to  purchase  fuel,  and  were  quietly 
passing  along  the  street,  when  a  mob  stoned  them  out 
of  the  village.  Shortly  after,  Deacon  Siyad  was  expelled 
from  the  district  so  suddenly  that  he  had  to  leave  his 
wife,  Merganeeta :  she,  too,  was  driven  away  alone  ;  but 
Hoimar,  a  pious  woman  residing  there,  went  with  her. 
The  first  night  they  spent  in  a  field,  and  the  next  day  they 


TRIALS.  169 

sought  refuge  in  an  Armenian  village ;  but,  driven  from 
thence,  the  persecuted  wife  fled  to  Oroomiah.  After  long 
effort,  an  officer  was  sent  from  Tabreez  to  Salmas,  and  ample 
promises  of  full  redress  were  given,  ending,  as  usual,  in 
nothing.  A  mob,  headed  by  a  French  Jesuit  and  native 
bishop,  rescued  the  offender,  and  the  officer  desisted  from 
further  procedure. 

The  reader  will  be  interested  in  the  following  extract, 
from  a  letter  of  Hoimar  to  Miss  Fiske,  in  1859 :  — 

"  I  cannot  tell  you  how  glad  I  am  to  hear  that  your 
health  is  better.  O  that  quickly  you  might  meet  us,  if  the 
Lord  will !  Till  death  I  can  never  forget  your  love,  nor 
your  reminding  your  pupils  to  ask  the  Lord  to  support  a 
poor,  ignorant  one  like  me.  I  do  not  believe  your  thoughts 
can  ever  rest  about  your  little  company  of  Nestorians. 
If  a  mother  leaves  a  nursing  child,  she  cannot  rest  till  she 
returns  to  it.  If  you  are  far  from  us  in  body,  I  know  your 
spirit  is  with  us.  If  Jonah  mourned  over  the  gourd  for 
which  he  had  not  labored,  how  shall  not  you  mourn  after 
those  for  whom  you  have  labored  ? 

"If  the  breezes  did  not  bring  the  cry  of  '  Salvation'  over 
the  ocean,  our  desolations  would  cry  out.  But  thanks  to 
Him  who  favors  those  that  leave  their  native  land  to  labor 
among  the  ignorant.  Yet  what  shall  this  people  do  ?  The 
beast  having  great  iron  teeth  still  reigns  here ;  but  it  may 
be  the  Lord  will  speedily  destroy  him  with  the  breath  of 
his  mouth.  I  trust  that  you  will  ever  remember  in  your 
prayers  one  who  will  remember  you  in  her  weakness  till 
death." 

Two  years  later  brought  the  following,  with  its  graphic 
delineation  of  the  trials  that  such  as  choose  the  better  part 
may  meet  with  yet  for  years  to  come :  — 
15 


170  WOMAN   AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 

Beloved  Miss  Fiske  :  Almost  every  day  of  this  sum- 
mer has  been  a  bitter  day.  For  my  mother  had  become 
willing  to  give  Raheel  (Rachel,  sister  of  Hoimar)  to  the 
Papists,  and  she  had  prevailed  over  my  father  to  do  the 
same.  And  now  I  will  tell  you  how  Goliah  fell  upon  the 
earth,  and  he  that  had  no  weapons  overcame ;  but  it  was 
from  the  power  of  God.  The  an-angement  had  all  been 
made  by  my  parents,  and  the  betrothal  feast  made  ready. 
Sanum  and  I  were  in  Oroomiah,  but  Deacon  Joseph  was 
in  Salinas,  and  we  had  also  this  comfort  —  my  oldest 
brother  stood  firm,  saying,  "Fear  not;  till  death  I  stand." 
Raheel  also  was  firm,  hoping  for  help.  With  entreaties 
and  tears,  I  asked  Deacon  Isaac  to  go  to  Salmas.  He 
went,  but  Raheel  knew  it  not.  She  was  very  sorrowful,  for 
only  an  hour  remained  to  the  time  fixed  for  putting  the 
betrothal  ring  on  her  finger.  The  hope  of  her  life  seemed 
to  hang  on  a  hair.  She  went  to  the  vineyard,  and  prayed 
God  to  deliver  her ;  then  returned  sorrowful  to  her  room. 
She  hears  them  say,  "They  have  come!"  and  locks  her 
door.  They  ask  her  to  open  it,  but  she  opens  it  not.  Just 
then,  Deacon  Joseph  goes  to  the  window,  and,  seeing  that 
Deacon  Isaac  has  come,  says,  "Open;  be  not  afraid." 
Deacon  Isaac  sits  down  with  the  Papists  who  have  come 
to  the  betrothal.  My  father  leaves  it  with  him,  and  he 
says,  "  Very  well ;  I  have  only  now  come ;  I  must  have 
time  to  examine  into  this  business.  To-morrow  I  will  give 
you  an  answer."  He  talks  with  my  father,  saying,  "  How 
can  you  give  your  daughter  to  the  Papists  ?  The  missiona- 
ries are  not  willing,  our  people  are  not  willing,  I  am  not 
willing ;  and  more  than  all,  the  girl  is  not  willing."  My 
father  at  length  said,  "  She  is  your  daughter,  not  mine ;  do 
as  you  please."  Then  Deacon  Isaac  sent  word  to  the 
Papists,  "  There   is   no   possibility  of  your   carrying   this 


TRIALS.  171 

forward.  I  have  questioned  the  girl,  she  is  not  willing ; 
speak  no  more  about  it."  The  deacon  then  asked  my 
father  to  let  her  go  to  the  city  to  school  again.  At  first  he 
consented,  but  finally  left  it  with  her  mother,  who  did  not 
let  her  go.  The  deacon  left  displeased.  When  I  heard 
this,  I  arose  and  took  Mar  Yohanan's  brother,  and  went  to 
Salinas,  thinking  I  might  possibly  bring  Raheel.  While 
yet  a  good  way  from  the  village,  like  Canaan's  spies,  we 
sent  for  my  oldest  brother  (who  is,  as  we  trust,  a  Chris- 
tian). He  gave  us  good  news,  and  said,  "Raheel  is  all 
ready  to  go  to  school."  As  the  Lord  favored  Eleazar 
about  Rebecca,  so  he  favored  us;  and  the  next  morning 
my  sister  and  Deacon  Joseph  returned  to  Oroomiah,  while 
I  remained  to  meet  the  wrath  of  my  mother.  As  soon  as 
Raheel  was  gone,  she  left,  and  as  yet  we  know  not  where 
she  is.  Truly,  great  is  the  power  of  prayer.  So  God 
brought  to  nought  evil  counsels,  scattered  fearful,  dark 
clouds,  and  caused  the  light  of  joy  to  rise  upon  us.  But  I 
am  very  sad  about  my  mother,  because  she  has  turned 
away  from  the  fear  of  God,  and  is  fleeing  from  life.  My 
father  and  husband  still  get  intoxicated.  I  trust  that  you 
will  multiply  your  prayers  for  them ;  and  ask  your  friends 
to  do  the  same,  and  to  pray  for  me,  and  our  village  and 
country.     Give  my  love  to  all  your  friends. 

From  your  lover,  Hoimar. 

We  shall  hear  from  Hoimar  again,  in  connection  with 
the  communion. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

PRAYERFULNESS. 

LANGUAGE  OF  PRAYER. — PRAYER  ON  HORSEBACK. OLD  MAN  IN  SUPER- 

GAN.  — MAR  OGEN. EARNESTNESS. FAREAVELL  PRAYER  MEETING  IN 

1858. LETTER  PROM  PUPIL. SPIRIT  OF  PRAYER  IN  1846. WOMAN 

WHO  COULD  NOT  PRAY. "CHRIST  BECOME   BEAUTIFUL." CLOSET  IN 

THE  MANGER. MONTHLY  CONCERTS. PRAYERFULNESS  IN   1819  AND 

1850. SABBATH,  JANUARY  20TH. INTEREST  CONTINUED  TILL  CLOSE 

OF     TERM. FAMILY     MEETINGS. AUDIBLE     PRAYER. ANSWER    TO 

MOTHERS'    PRAYERS. CONNECTION    OF     REVIVALS   WITH    PRAYER   AT 

HOME. 

The  Nestorian  converts  have  been  noted  for  their  spirit 
of  prayer. 

In  1846,  the  prayers  of  the  hopefully  pious  in  the  Male 
Seminary  were  very  remarkable.  Several  rooms  were  ap- 
propriated to  devotion,  and  there  one  might  hear  the 
voice  of  supplication  from  morning  till  night.  Many  spent 
several  hours  a  day  in  this  holy  employment ;  and  one 
needed  only  to  listen  to  know  that  their  prayers  came 
from  the  depths  of  the  soul.  At  one  time,  they  beg  that 
the  dog  may  have  a  single  crumb  from  the  table  of  his 
master;  again,  they  are  smiting  on  their  breasts  by  the 
side  of  the  publican.  Now  they  are  prodigals  —  hungry, 
naked,  and  far  from  their  Father's  house  ;  and  now  they 
sink  in  the  sea,  crying,  "Lord,  save  me;  I  perish!"  or,  as 
poor  outcast  lepers,  they  come  to  the  great  Physician  for  a 

(172) 


PRAYERFULNESS.  173 

cure.  This  one  builds  on  the  Rock  of  Ages,  while  the 
torrents  roar  around.  That  one  washes  the  feet  of  Jesus 
with  his  tears,  and  wipes  them  with  the  hair  of  his  head ; 
another,  as  a  soldier  of  the  cross,  plants  its  blood-stained 
banner  in  the  inner  citadel  of  his  heart.  Their  ardent 
feelings  found  such  appropriate  expression  in  their  Oriental 
metaphors,  that  one  might  learn  from  children  to  pray  as 
he  never  prayed  before. 

On  the  reopening  of  the  Seminary  that  spring,  the  first 
desire  of  the  pupils  was  to  enter  their  closets  and  commune 
with  God. 

Riding  out  one  evening,  Mr.  Stoddard  saw  three  per- 
sons before  him  on  the  way  to  Seir.  Their  horses  went 
froni  one  side  of  the  road  to  the  other,  at  random;  and 
their  own  heads  were  uncovered  to  the  cold  March  wind. 
At  first  he  took  them  for  dervishes ;  but  on  coming  nearer 
he  heard  the  voice  of  prayer,  and  found  they  were  Nesto- 
riaus.  The  eyes  of  all  were  reverently  closed,  and  when 
one  finished  the  other  continued  their  supplications.  He 
turned  aside,  and  left  them  undisturbed.  On  another  occa- 
sion, when  John  and  Moses  were  riding  to  Geog  Tapa  on 
the  same  horse,  they  again  engaged  in  devotion ;  but  as 
the  horse  was  unruly,  they  each  prayed  in  turn,  while  the 
other  held  the  reins. 

Sometimes  the  language  of  their  prayers  is  very  broken. 
Mr.  Stoddard  once  stood  in  the  church  in  Supergan, 
twenty  miles  from  Oroomiah,  while  prayers  were  read  in 
the  ancient  Syriac,  and  overheard  an  old  man,  very  igno- 
rant, praying  back  in  the  congregation  by  himself.  He 
had,  perhaps,  never  heard  five  prayers,  in  his  whole  life,  in 
a  language  he  could  understand ;  but  reverently,  and  in  a 
low  tone,  commingling  the  mpmories  of  old  forms  with  the 
utterance  of  new  desires,  he  was  saying,  '**Our  Father  in 
15* 


174  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

heaven  —  always  going  after  Satan  —  O  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
—  hallelujah  —  forever  and  ever,  Amen!"  It  was  inco- 
herent, but  comprehensive.  He  addresses  God  as  his 
heavenly  Father.  He  confesses  his  sins.  He  appeals  to 
Christ  as  his  only  helper.  He  praises  God  for  his  unspeak- 
able gift,  and  then  closes  in  the  usual  form. 

The  pious  Mar  Ogen,  of  Ishtazin,  when  in  great  pain, 
and  hardly  able  to  move,  often  broke  out  in  words  like 
these :  "  O  Lord  Jesus,  thou  art  the  King  of  glory,  the 
King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords ;  thou  art  great,  and 
holy,  and  merciful.  I  am  a  sinner,  condemned.  My  face 
is  black,  my  bones  are  rotten.  O  Lord  Jesus,  have  mercy 
upon  me,  poor,  and  blind,  and  naked,  and  miserable.  O 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  I  am  vile,  I  am  lost ;  but  do  thou  re- 
member me." 

~No  language  expressed  their  sense  of  guilt  better  than 
the  words,  "All  our  righteousnesses  are  as  filthy  rags." 
In  the  fervor  of  their  desire  for  Christ,  and  grace  through 
him,  they  would  say,  "  Blessed  Saviour,  we  will  cling  to 
the  skirts  of  thy  garment,  and  hope  for  mercy  till  our 
hands  are  cut  off."  A  common  petition  was,  "  O  Lord,  we 
pray  that  we  may  never  deny  thee,  even  to  the  blood  of 
our  necks"  —  most  expressive  words,  in  a  land  where  so 
many  criminals  are  beheaded. 

.  One  prayed  for  our  country,  when  he  heard  of  the  south- 
ern rebellion,  thus :  "  O  God,  pour  peace  into  that  land. 
Permit  them  not  to  fight  with  each  other,  but  with  Satan 
and  their  wicked  hearts,  and  may  they  fight  spiritually  to 
subdue  the  whole  world  to  Christ." 

During  one  of  the  revivals  in  the  Female  Seminary,  the 
prayers  of  the  pupils  were  exceedingly  earnest.  A  member 
of  the  mission,  having  occasion  to  open  the  door  of  a  room 
where  a  few  of  them  wTere  together,    heard   as   follows  : 


PRAYERFULNESS.  175 

"  We  are  hanging  over  a  lake  of  fire,  with  a  heavy  load 
upon  our  backs,  by  a  single  hair,  and  that  is  almost  broken. 
We  are  in  a  ship  burned  almost  down  to  the  water;  the 
flames  are  just  seizing  upon  us.  O  God,  have  mercy. 
Jesus,  Son  of  David,  have  mercy.  O  Lamb  of  God,  have 
mercy  on  us."  "No  wonder,"  a  missionary  wrote,  "I 
sometimes  think  that  it  is  pleasanter  to  pray  in  Syriac  than 
in  our  own  language,  because  I  have  such  fervent-minded 
ones  with  whom  to  pray." 

The  day  Miss  Fiske  left  Oroomiah,  a  large  number  of 
women  and  girls  gathered  around  to  bid  her  farewell.  They 
said,  "  Can  we  not  have  one  more  prayer  meeting  before  you 
leave  ?"  They  were  told  that  they  might  meet  in  the  school 
room.  "But  may  it  not  be  in  that  Bethel?"  they  asked,  re- 
ferring to  the  teacher's  own  room.  She  told  them  she  could 
not  lead  their  devotions  then.  Their  reply  was,  "  You  need 
not  do  it ;  we  will  carry  you  to-day."  Seventy  were  soon 
assembled  in  her  room.  They  sung,  "  Blest  be  the  tie  that 
binds,"  and  offered  six  prayers.  One  asked  that  when  Elijah 
should  go  up,  they  might  all  see  the  horsemen  and  chariot, 
and  all  catch  the  falling  mantle ;  not  sit  down  to  weep,  or 
send  into  the  mountains  to  search  for  their  master,  but 
take  up  the  mantle,  go,  smite  Jordan,  and,  passing  over,  go 
to  work.  She  then  reminded  the  Saviour  that  he  had 
promised  not  to  leave  them  orphans  (John  xiv.  18,  Greek 
and  Syriac),  and  begged  him  not  only  to  come  to  them, 
but  to  abide  with  them  when  their  teacher  was  gone. 
Her  thoughts  then  turned  to  the  departing  company,  who 
were  to  take  their  long  land  journey  of  six  hundred  miles 
on  horseback.  She  asked  that  the  sun  might  not  smite 
them  by  day,  nor  the  moon  by  night.  Theirs  was  a  desert 
way,  and  the  Lord  was  entreated  to  spread  a  table  for 
them  through  all  the  wilderness,  and,  when  they  should 


176  WOMAN    AND    HER    SAVIOUR. 

pass  over  the  narrow,  precipitous  roads,  to  give  his  angels 
charge  to  keep  them  in  all  their  ways,  and  bear  them  up 
in  their  hands,  lest  they  dash  a  foot  against  a  stone ;  and 
when  they  should  go  through  the  rivers,  not  to  let  the 
waters  overflow  them.  The  company  would  lodge  by 
night  in  tents,  and  it  was  asked  that  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
might  ever  encamp  round  about  the  moving  tabernacle. 
Borne  in  mind  as  they  should  pass  on,  first  to  the  steamer, 
and  then  to  the  sailing  vessel,  she  asked  that  when  they 
should  be  on  the  "fire  ship,"  the  flame  might  not  kindle 
upon  them;  and  when  on  the  "winged  ship,"  where  the 
waves  would  go  up  to  heaven,  and  down  to  hell,  that  He 
would  keep  them  in  the  hollow  of  his  hand,  and  bring 
them  to  the  desired  haven.  She  then  asked  that  all  her 
teacher's  friends  might  be  spared  till  she  should  reach 
them,  especially  the  aged  mother,  and  that  when  she  should 
fold  her  daughter  in  her  arms,  she  might  say,  like  Simeon 
of  old,  "Now  lettest  thou  thy  servant  depart  in  peace." 
Here  she  paused,  and  Miss  Fiske  thought  she  had  finished ; 
but  soon  she  added,  "  May  our  teacher's  dust  never  mingle 
with  a  father's  dust,  or  with  a  mother's  dust ;  but  may  she 
come  back  to  us  to  mingle  her  dust  with  her  children's 
dust,  hear  the  trumpet  with  them,  and  with  them  go  up  to 
meet  the  Lord,  and  be  forever  with  him."  Nor  did  their 
prayerfulness  cease  after  their  teacher  had  left  them. 

There  was  a  pupil  in  the  Seminary,  who,  before  conver- 
sion, was  exceedingly  obstinate  and  rude ;  but  afterwards,  in 
writing  to  Miss  Fiske,  she  uses  expressions  like  these :  "  I 
remember  how  you  used  to  put  your  arms  about  my  neck, 
and  tell  me  how  Christ  became  obedient  unto  death ;  not 
for  friends,  but  for  enemies  like  me.  Especially  do  I  re- 
member how  you  spoke  of  that  love  which  saw  a  remedy 
in  its  own  blood,  when  there  was  no  help  for  a  lost  world. 


PRAYERFULNESS.  177 

At  that  time  I  did  not  understand  it,  but  now  I  know  not 
how  to  express  my  gratitude.  I  know  that  you  are  very 
happy  with  your  aged  mother,  though  your  heart  is  here ; 
and  she  is  happy,  too,  that  she  sees  your  face.  Yet  these 
earthly  meetings,  though  so  pleasant,  are  but  for  a  season. 
But  how  delightful  will  be  that  meeting  with  the  holy 
angels,  with  the  risen  Lamb,  and  with  God  our  Father! 
and  if  separations  are  so  trying  here,  what  must  be  those 
of  the  last  day  ?  May  I  not  then  be  separated  from  you. 
If  I  should  be,  I  know  you  will  say, '  Holy,  holy  Lord  God, 
just  art  thou,  for  she  has  been  taught.'  We  miss  you 
much ;  but  the  Teacher  who  is  better  than  any  earthly  in- 
structor, came  and  taught  us  this  winter  (1858-1859).  The 
Lord  Jesus  has  been  the  gardener  of  our  school.  He  has 
come  down  and  watered  it  with  heavenly  rain.  He  has 
truly  fulfilled  his  promise, '  I  will  not  leave  you  orphans ;  I 
will  come  to  you.'  He  said,  'Wait  for  the  promise  of  the 
Father.'  We  waited  for  his  coming,  and  he  turned  him- 
self quickly,  and  Ave  had  delightful  seasons.  Our  times  of 
prayer  were  longed  for.  We  prayed  more  than  we  did  any 
thing  else.  When  we  retire  from  the  school  room  now,  in 
many  places  two  girls  are  found  praying  together.  In  my 
village  I  meet  the  women  together  and  alone.  I  also  have 
precious  seasons,  praying  with  a  company  of  girls ;  and  I 
have  selected  two  women  to  pray  with  and  for  till  they 
shall  be  Christians.  I  hope  that  they  will  choose  Christ  for 
their  portion.  Some  of  the  women  of  our  village,  like 
Mary,  sit  at  Jesus'  feet.  One  Christian  mother  had  an  only 
son,  and  very  wicked,  who  trod  the  Sabbath  under  foot,  and 
was  wholly  given  up  to  his  OAvn  pleasure.  She  set  apart  a 
day  for  fasting  and  prayer  in  his  behalf,  and  soon  the 
Lord  met  him  in  his  evil  way,  and  now  he  is  a  decided 
Christian." 


178  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

But  let  us  leave  these  general  views,  and  look  at  this 
prayerfulness  more  in  the  order  of  its  manifestations. 

During  the  revival  in  1846,  two  of  the  pupils  spent  *a 
whole  night  in  prayer  for  the  conversion  of  their  brothers, 
first  one  leading  in  devotion,  and  then  the  other,  till  morn- 
ing. Like  Jacob  they  felt,  "  We  will  not  let  thee  go  except 
thou  bless  us."  While  the  missionaries  admired  their  pious 
zeal,  it  is  proper  to  add,  that  they  generally  insisted  on  the 
observance  of  regular  hours  of  sleep,  as  conducive  alike  to 
bodily  and  spiritual  health.  Yet  one  writes  on  a  similar 
occasion,  "  Sometimes,  in  my  anxiety,  I  have  gone  to  their 
cold  closets  to  persuade  them  to  leave ;  but  the  fervor  of 
their  prayers  has  oftener  driven  me  to  mine,  than  it  has 
allowed  me  to  call  them  from  theirs." 

Twice,  and  even  three  times,  a  day,  was  not  enough  for 
them  to  retire  for  communion  with  God.  Many  spent 
hours  every  day  at  the  mercy  seat.  There  were  but  few 
closets,  and  this  was  a  great  trial  to  them.  Often  three  or 
four  of  thern  might  be  seen  sitting,  in  tears,  waiting  their 
turn  to  go  in  to  the  mercy  seat.  Would  that  they  might 
have  had  some  of  those  closets  at  home  that  are  never 
entered !  At  another  time,  the  Bible  of  one  of  the  girls 
was  found  on  one  of  their  wooden  stools,  open  at  the  fifty- 
first  psalm,  and  the  page  blotted  with  weeping,  as  she  read 
it  preparatory  to  retiring  for  prayer.  Her  teacher  could 
put  her  finger  on  no  part  of  those  large  pages  without 
touching  a  tear.*  Still  later,  when  news  of  the  death  of 
Munny,  of  Ardishai,  by  the  accidental  discharge  of  a  gun, 
reached  Miss  Fiske  in  America,  her  first  thought  was,  "  Dear 
child,  I  shall  never  again  break  off  your  communion  with 
Jesus ; "  for  she  remembered  that  when  once  she  begged  her 
to  leave  her  closet  and  get  rest  for  the  Sabbath,  her  reply 

*  See  page  138. 


PRAYERFULNESS.  179 

was,  "  O,  I  am  so  sorry  that  you  spoke  to  me !  I  was  having 
such  a  good  time  with  my  clear  Saviour."  Only  a  few  days 
before  her  death,  while  in  the  vineyard  with  her  brother, 
she  suddenly  clasped  her  hands,  and  exclaimed,  "  Blessed 
Mr.  Stoddard !  when  shall  I  see  him  ?  and  when  shall  I  see 
my  blessed  Saviour  ?  " 

A  poor  woman,  came  to  the  Seminary  one  day,  weep- 
ing for  her  sins,  and  seated  herself  on  the  floor.  The 
teacher  was  soon  at  her  side,  telling  her  of  Him  who  was 
wounded  for  our  transgressions.  She  prayed  with  her,  and 
then  asked  her  to  pray  for  herself.  "  But  I  can't  pray ;  I 
don't  know  your  prayers."  "  Hatoon,  don't  try  to  pray  like 
me,  or  like  any  body;  but  just  tell  God  how  you  feel  and 
what  you  want."  "May  I  tell  God  just  what  is  in  my 
heart  ?  "  Being  assured  on  that  point,  she  fell  on  her  flxce, 
weeping  aloud,  saying  amid  sobs,  "  O  God,  I  am  not  fit 
even  for  an  old  broom  to  sweep  with,"  and  could  say  no 
more.  This  was  doubtless  the  most  worthless  thing  the 
poor  woman  could  think  of  in  her  humble  home.  But  it 
was  not  long  ere  she  covdd  join  others  in  their  little  meet- 
ings for  prayer ;  and  she  still  lives,  honoring  the  Saviour, 
whom  she  loves.  She  is  the  mother  of  two  of  the  most 
useful  graduates  of  the  Seminary. 

Again  :  a  pious  man  brought  his  wife  to  spend  a  few  days 
in  the  Seminary,  when  she  was  somewhat  thoughtful,  and 
left  her  nearly  a  week.  Let  Miss  Fiske  describe  their  meet- 
ing. "  He  came  for  her  at  noon,  and  I  was  conversing  with 
him  in  my  room,  when  she  passed  out  from  her  closet  with- 
out seeing  him.  [The  small  upper  window  to  the  left,  over 
the  central  door,  marks  the  closet.]  But  he  saw  her,  and 
reached  out  his  hand,  saying,  'My  beloved,  come  here.'  She 
placed  her  hand  in  his,  looked  up  in  his  face,  and  answered 
his  'Is  Christ  become  beautiful?'  with  a  gentle  'I  think 


180  WOMAN   AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 

so.'  The  tears  of  both  fell  fast,  while  he  led  her,  without 
leave,  into  my  chamber,  that  they  might  unite  in  prayer. 
But  I  was  glad  to  have  them  offer  their  first  united  prayers 
there.     It  was  ever  after  a  more  sacred  place." 

Miss  Fiske  spent  most  of  the  vacation,  that  followed  the 
first  revival,  in  1846,  with  Mr.  Stoddard,  in  the  villages, 
where  her  pupils  aided  her  much  in  labors  among  the 
people.  After  a  very  pleasant  evening  spent  in  Geog  Tapa 
with  those  who  were  seeking  Jesus,  Hanee,  the  pupil  with 
whom  she  staid,  came  and  asked,  "  Would  you  like  to  be 
alone?"  It  was  the  first  time  she  had  ever  been  asked 
such  a  question  by  a  Nestorian,  and  it  awakened  feelings 
similar  to  those  that  filled  her  heart  when  first  she  heard 
the  voice  of  a  Nestorian  woman  leading  in  prayer.  To  use 
her  own  words,  "  I  followed  the  dear  child,  and  she  led  me 
to  the  best  closet  she  could  give  me  —  a  manger,  where  she 
had  spread  clean  hay ;  and  she  said  to  me,  as  she  turned  to 
leave,  '  Stay  just  as  long  as  you  like.'  You  may  Avell  sup- 
pose it  was  a  precious  spot  to  me.  It  was  my  own  fault  if 
I  did  not  there  meet  Him  who  was  once  laid  in  a  manger 
for  us." 

The  members  of  the  Seminary  were  especially  interested 
in  the  monthly  concert,  which  was  held  in  Oroomiah,  on 
the  first  Monday  of  the  month.  On  that  day  they  generally 
wanted  two  or  three  meetings;  and  in  1846  it  was  often 
difficult  to  persuade  them  to  study  at  all.  From  the  rising 
to  the  setting  sun,  the  voice  of  supplication  for  a  dying 
Avorld  continually  fell  upon  the  ear.  At  one  time,  all  united 
in  pleading  for  a  world's  redemption ;  then,  in  little  com- 
panies of  five  or  six,  they  urged  the  request;  and  again, 
each,  alone  in  her  closet,  still  pressed  the  same  petition. 

Previous  to  1846,  so  few  of  the  Nestorians  knew  how  to 
pray,  that  religious  meetings  were  for   instruction   rather 


PRAYERPULNESS.  181 

than  prayer ;  but  now  it  was  a  delightful  privilege  to  unite 
with  them  in  pleading  for  the  conversion  of  the  world  to 
Christ.  Never  were  their  petitions  so  full  of  unction  as 
when  offered  for  this  object.  In  April,  Miss  Fiske's  pupils, 
not  satisfied  with  an  extra  meeting  by  themselves,  though 
continued  till  near  sunset,  were  induced  to  close  it  only  by 
the  promise  of  having  a  similar  meeting  next  day.  No 
wonder  their  teacher  never  enjoyed  a  monthly  concert  in 
America  as  she  did  that  one.  It  was  indeed  a  rare  privi- 
lege to  unite  with  such  spirits  in  its  observance. 

The  pupils  wrote  to  the  Seminary,  at  South  Hadley  — 
"Dear  sisters,  we  love  the  monthly  concert  very  much. 
Three  hours  on  that  day  we  meet  together  to  pray  that  the 
kingdom  of  God  may  come  among  us,  and  among  all  the 
nations  of  the  earth.  It  is  a  very  sweet  day  to  us,  and  we 
love  none  so  well,  except  the  Sabbath." 

In  January,  1849,  they  spent  day  and  night  in  weeping 
and  prayer,  mostly  for  themselves,  as  unfit  to  pray  for 
others.  The  same  was  true  of  the  Male  Seminary.  The 
teachers,  the  older  pupils,  and  Deacons  John  and  Guwergis 
spent  nearly  the  whole  of  one  night  in  prayer ;  and  so  bur- 
dened were  they  with  the  lost  condition  of  their  people, 
and  their  own  unfaithfulness,  that  almost  all  of  them  gave 
up  their  former  hope  in  Christ,  and  sought  anew  for  pardon. 
The  voice  of  praise  and  prayer  was  now  heard,  not  only 
through  the  day,  but  frequently  during  the  night. 

Up  to  January  29th,  only  two  or  three  of  the  uncon- 
verted in  the  Seminary  shewed  any  concern  for  salvation. 
Most  of  them  were  so  careless  and  trifling,  that  their  teach- 
ers were  almost  heart-broken ;  but  when  the  retiring  bell 
rung  that  night,  many  were  so  distressed  for  sin  that  they 
could  not  heed  it.  The  pious  were  pleading  in  behalf  of 
those  out  of  Christ,  and  many  of  these  last  were  crying  for 
16 


182  WOMAN    AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

mercy.  One  prayer  commenced,  "  O  Lord,  throw  us  a  rope, 
for  we  are  out  in  the  open  sea,  on  a  single  plank,  and  wave 
after  wave  is  dashing  over  us.1'  So  they  continued  till  near 
midnight,  when  their  teachers  constrained  them  to  retire. 

At  the  beginning  of  February,  the  other  Seminary  wit- 
nessed a  remarkable  outpouring  of  the  spirit  of  prayer. 
Every  spare  moment  of  the  previous  day,  and  much  of  the 
night,  had  been  devoted  to  fervent  intercession  by  those 
who  feared  that  the  Spirit  of  God  was  about  to  leave  them. 
So  intense  was  the  feeling,  that  the  ordinary  services  were 
suspended,  and  at  once  every  closet  was  filled;  yet  a  majority 
had  no  place  for  retirement.  One  of  them  proposed  prayer 
in  the  yard,  and  there,  on  that  wintry  day,  for  an  hour, 
their  earnest  cries  went  up  to  heaven.  All  of  the  careless 
were  deeply  moved,  and  many  dated  their  conversion  from 
that  day. 

The  work  extended  to  Geog  Tapa,  Seir,  and  other  vil- 
lages. From  Degala,  Deacon  Joseph  wrote,  "  Whenever  I 
went  home,  I  found  our  house  a  house  of  mourning.  After 
the  lamp  was  put  out  at  night,  I  could  not  sleep  for  the 
sounds  of  prayer  and  weeping  on  all  sides.  In  some 
houses,  very  young  children  had  heard  their  parents  pray 
so  much,  that  they  also  did  the  same.  The  women,  too,  had 
frequent  meetings  by  themselves.  One  day  I  led  some 
men  to  a  place  where  they  could  hear  women  praying 
within  the  latticed  window  of  a  house,  and,  trembling,  they 
begged  me  to  teach  them  also  how  to  come  to  God." 

The  missionaries  avoided  all  stirring  appeals  to  the  pas- 
sions, among  a  people  so  excitable,  though  the  ready  per- 
formance of  every  duty  manifested  the  sincerity  of  the 
praying  pupils,  while  it  made  the  labors  of  their  teachers 
pleasant. 

There  was  not  that  agonizing  wrestling  in  prayer  on  the 


PRAYERFULNESS.  183 

first  Monday  of  1850  that  had  marked  the  same  day  the 
year  before ;  but  the  following  week  was  characterized  by 
unusual  tenderness  in  both  Seminaries,  and  two  of  the  older 
pupils  of  the  Female  Seminary  found  no  rest  except  in 
their  closets. 

On  the  evening  of  the  second  Sabbath  in  January,  Miss 
Fiske  was  not  able  to  attend  the  prayer  meeting,  and  re- 
mained in  her  room  alone.  The  gentle  opening  of  her 
door  announced  that  the  meeting  was  over,  and  a  little 
group  passed  on  hastily,  but  quietly,  to  the  rooms  beyond. 
She  had  just  risen  to  follow,  when  she  heard  several  voices 
in  earnest  supplication.  She  turned  to  the  stairway,  and 
there  also  the  sound  of  fervent  entreaty  came  up  from 
many  closets,  while  some  groped  about  to  light  their  lamps, 
or  stirred  the  dying  embers  of  their  fires.  What  meant 
this  simultaneous  movement  to  the  mercy  seat?  There 
had  been  nothing  unusually  exciting  in  the  meeting,  and  she 
sat  down  with  the  sweet  assurance  that  it  was  from  above. 
It  was  late  before  the  suppliants  left  their  closets,  and  re- 
tired in  perfect  silence  ;  but  morning  found  them  resuming 
the  same  loved  employment,  and  good  news  came  of  simi- 
lar blessings  from  the  Boys'  Seminary. 

That  week  was  one  of  deep  solemnity.  The  pious  pupils 
devoted  every  leisure  moment  to  prayer.  Their  domestic 
duties  were  performed  faultlessly,  and  much  earlier  than 
usual,  and  then  they  sought  their  closets.  Some  spent  five 
hours  each  day  of  that  week  in  those  sacred  retreats,  and 
when  urged  to  leave  for  needed  sleep,  the  reply  was,  "For 
weeks  we  have  slept,  doing  nothing  for  God  and  souls. 
How  can  we  sleep  until  forgiven  ?  " 

Saturday  afternoon,  several  begged  leave  to  give  them- 
selves entirely  to  prayer  for  a  blessing  on  the  morrow ;  and 
never  did  the  teachers  more  gladly  welcome  the  approach 


184  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

of  holy  time.  A  blessed  Sabbath  followed  such  a  prepara- 
tion day.  During  morning  service,  almost  all  were  in  tears. 
At  dinner,  many  seats  were  vacant.  It  may  seem  an  ex- 
aggeration, but  it  was  literally  true,  that  no  voice  was 
heard  all  that  day  save  the  voice  of  prayer.  Miss  Fiske 
has  never  known  such  a  Sabbath  before,  nor  since.  In  the 
afternoon,  the  feeling  was  overpowering.  There  was  no 
request  for  prayer,  but  unbroken  stillness  and  the  perfect 
performance  of  every  duty,  without  a  word  being  said.  At 
the  supper  table,  every  face  seemed  to  say,  "  Our  meat  and 
drink  are  not  here."  Some  asked  to  be  excused,  but  at 
length  all  were  seated ;  and  the  scene  that  followed  can 
never  be  forgotten.  All  who  were  previously  interested, 
and  more  beside,  wept  tears  of  silent  sorrow.  The  blessing 
was  asked,  and  the  steward  *  began  to  help  them,  himself 
in  tears ;  but  no  plate  was  touched,  for  even  the  uninter- 
ested gazed  in  silent  wonder.  Their  teacher  urged  them  to 
eat;  but  one,  seizing  her  hand,  said  in  a  voice  too  low  to  be 
overheard,  "  You  would  not  ask  me  to  eat  if  you  knew  my 
heart."  The  reply  was,  "  I  feel  just  as  sure  that  the  Lord 
would  have  you  eat,  as  that  he  would  have  you  pray." 
They  were  then  besought  to  eat,  so  as  to  have  strength  to 
pray.  This  touched  a  tender  chord,  and  so  succeeded;  and 
then  they  silently  withdrew  to  make  that  use  of  their  reno- 
vated strength.  Each  hour  that  night  found  some  at  the 
mercy  seat,  feeling  that  to  leave  off  at  such  a  crisis  might 
lessen  the  blessing. 

Two  months  now  passed  on,  each  day  furnishing  new 
evidence  that  those  prayers  were  heard.  There  was  less  of 
excitement,  but  no  diminution  of  interest,  to  the  close  of 
the  term.  The  uniform  and  sustained  prayerfulness  of 
those  months  surprised  the  beholders.     The  voice  of  sup- 

*  Yohanan,  father  of  Esli.     See  page  67. 


PRAYERFULNESS.  185 

plication  was  the  latest  sound  of  evening,  the  watchword 
of  midnight,  and  the  lark  song  of  the  dawn.  One  pupil, 
nine  years  of  age,  after  spending  two  hours  in  her  closet, 
consented  to  retire  only  when  allowed  to  rise  and  pray  if 
she  awoke  during  the  night;  and  she  was  sure  to  wake. 
About  three  o'clock  every  morning,  her  earnest  pleadings 
roused  her  teachers  from  repoec. 

The  hours  of  social  prayer  were  full  of  tenderness. 
Those  who  heard  the  pupils  pleading  far  within  the  veil, 
close  by  the  mercy  seat,  almost  forgot  that  they  were  yet 
on  earth.  The  school,  their  parents  and  relatives,  were  all 
affectionately  remembered.  The  hour  always  seemed  too 
short,  and  often  closed  with  such  expressions  as  these  :  "  If 
we  have  not  been  heard  here,  we  will  go  to  our  closets, 
and  if  not  heard  there,  we  will  return  here,  and  again  go 
back  to  our  closets,  and  so  continue  to  plead  for  these 
loved  ones  to  the  last."  These  meetings,  though  varied  in 
character,  were  always  of  thrilling  interest.  Now  there 
was  an  overwhelming  sense  of  sin,  as  committed  against 
a  holy  God,  and  then,  as  a  ray  of  hope  appeared,  a  weeping 
voice  would  implore,  as  on  one  occasion,  that  "the  Holy 
One  would  walk  over  the  hills  of  Judea,  find  Golgotha,  and 
let  them  live."  Again,  the  sight  of  manifold  transgressions 
prompted  the  cry,  "  But  we  fear  our  sins  have  covered 
Golgotha  from  thy  sight,  and  then  are  we  forever  lost." 
Another  part  of  the  same  prayer  contained  the  entreaty, 
"  Lift  not  the  mercy  seat  from  off  the  holy  ark,  to  look  on 
the  law  we  have  broken,  but  look  into  Jesus'  grave,  and 
bid  us  live." 

In  the  daily  family  prayer  meetings  every  inmate  of  the 

room  was  specially  and  tenderly  remembered.     Once,  when 

a  father  had  come  for  his  daughter,  and  Miss  Fiske  went 

to  find  her,  on  opening  the  door  she  heard  a  prayer  for  one 

16* 


186  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

who  had  shown  little  feeling ;  and  in  pleading  the  suffer- 
ings of  Christ  on  her  behalf,  each  petition  seemed  to  rise 
higher,  till  every  face  was  turned  upward,  as  if  to  see 
him;  and  the  one  who  led  in  devotion  involuntarily 
stretched  out  her  hands  to  lay  hold  of  him,  saying,  "  Come, 
Lord  Jesus,  and  save  our  perishing  sister;  but  if  she  will 
not  receive  thee  in  this  life  we  must  forever  rejoice  in  her 
destruction"  —  a  striking  illustration  of  intense  spiritual 
emotion,  bringing  the  heart  into  sympathy  with  the  whole 
truth  of  God.     (Rev.  xix.  3.) 

These  labors  for  their  impenitent  associates,  and  for 
those  women  who  came  to  the  Seminary,  were  full  of 
Christ.  The  hour  between  supper  and  the  evening  meet- 
ing was  usually  spent  in  personal  labor  from  room  to 
room ;  and  the  entreaties  and  prayers,  then  audible  on  all 
sides,  made  it  delightful  to  be  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land 
for  Jesus'  sake.  It  was  scarcely  less  affecting  when  super- 
stitious grandmothers,  worldly  mothers,  and  giddy  sisters 
were  prayed  with  and  entreated  to  come  to  Christ. 

The  audible  prayers  of  the  pupils  may  trouble  some 
readers,  but  not  more  than  they  troubled  their  teacher. 
She  desired  more  silent  devotion  ;  but  Mr.  Stoddard,  him- 
self in  the  habit  of  praying  aloud,  looked  on  it  with  more 
favor,  and  feared  to  have  it  checked.  Soon  after  his  own 
conversion,  a  friend  remarked  to  him,  "I  think  you  had 
better  not  pray  quite  so  loud;"  and  for  days  after  it  he 
could  not  pray  at  all.  He  had  never  thought  of  others 
while  communing  with  God,  and  he  was  troubled  that 
others  should  think  of  him.  Even  to  the  last  he  continued 
the  practice  of  praying  audibly. 

Miss  Fiske  sometimes  spoke  to  her  pupils  on  the  subject. 
There  was  one  who  spent  hours  daily  in  her  closet,  but  her 
teacher  heard  all  she  said.     So,  on  a  fitting  opportunity, 


PRAYERFULNESS.  187 

she  suggested  to  her,  in  a  gentle  way,  that  she  might 
modify  the  practice.  "  I  will  try  to  pray  in  a  lower  voice," 
was  the  reply;  "but  I  never  thought  of  any  body's  hear- 
ing me."  That  night  her  voice  was  more  subdued,  but 
her  prayer  was  very  short ;  and  soon  after  midnight  her 
teacher  was  awakened  by  the  voice  of  prayer  out  on  the 
roof.  She  stepped  out  quietly;  and  there  was  her  pupil 
wrapped  in  a  blanket,  and  thanking  the  Lord  for  such  a 
place  to  pray.  She  continued  her  devotions  till  near 
morning;  and  the  kind  teacher  had  no  heart  to  interfere 
any  further.  Mr.  Stoddard  was  much  amused  with  her 
success ;  and  it  may  teach  all  of  us,  in  this  matter,  to  suffer 
the  Holy  Spirit  to  divide  to  every  one  severally  as  he  will. 

On  another  occasion,  not  liking  to  assume  the  responsi- 
bility herself,  and  yet  fearing  for  the  health  of  her  pupil, 
who  generally  spent  a  long  time  in  fervent  devotion,  she 
led  the  physician  to  the  outside  of  the  door ;  but  he,  too, 
after  listening  for  a  while,  did  not  venture  to  interrupt  such 
communion  with  God.     Sarah  of  Tiary  was  within. 

Meetings  were  held  three  days  in  the  week  with  the 
women  in  the  neighborhood,  and  were  well  attended.  The 
older  pupils  were  allowed  to  assist  in  these  in  order  to 
form  habits  of  doing  good  for  after  life ;  and  they  did  so 
to  edification,  both  leading  in  prayer  and  addressing  the 
beloved  mothers  —  as  they  called  those  older  than  them- 
selves—  tenderly  and  in  fitting  words. 

It  was  of  such  a  work  that  Miss  Fiske  wrote  at  the 
time,  "  We  cannot  speak  confidently  of  its  fruits  at  this 
early  date,  especially  as  many  of  our  dear  charge  are  so 
young ;  but  we  can  say  what  present  appearances  are ;  and 
while  we  daily  try  to  obey  our  Saviour's  command,  '  Feed 
my  lambs !'  we  trust  that  friends  at  home  will  hear  no  less 
distinctly  the  same  voice,  saying,    '  Pray  for  my  lambs  in 


188  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

Persia.'  All  those  whom  we  regarded  as  Christians  have 
shown  themselves  most  faithful  to  their  Master  during  this 
season.  Others,  of  whom  we  were  less  confident,  have 
seemed  to  pass  through  a  previously  untried  experience, 
and,  we  tremblingly  hope,  have  laid  hold  of  eternal  life. 
The  same  is  true  of  several  never  before  convicted. 
Among  these  last  is  a  little  girl  who  was  suddenly 
awakened,  with  as  clear  convictions,  apparently,  as  I  ever 
saw  in  any ;  and  her  final  trust  in  Christ  as  implicit.  For 
several  days  she  would  say,  with  tears  and  sobs,  'I  have 
never  yet  loved  the  Saviour ;  but  O,  I  do  want  to  love  him 
now.'  Her  mother  is  one  of  the  few  converted  in  Geog 
Tapa  before  the  first  revival.  She  has  suffered  almost 
every  thing  for  Christ.  Often,  on  returning  late  from 
meeting,  she  has  found  herself  shut  out  for  an  hour  in  a 
piercing  winter  wind,  before  her  husband  would  open  the 
door.  At  other  times  she  has  been  beaten,  but  never  denied 
Him  who  bought  her.  The  pious  natives  often  say  that 
in  the  conversion  of  her  daughter,  she  now  receives  the 
reward  of  her  years  of  prayer  and  faithful  endurance. 
The  last  days  of  the  term  bound  the  dear  pupils  very 
closely  to  each  other,  and  we  trust  to  Christ.  When  the 
hour  of  separation  came,  a  prayer  meeting  was  held  in 
each  room,  and  continued  to  the  last  moment.  Those 
without  hope  clung  to  their  praying  sisters,  with  tears  and 
entreaties  for  prayer.  The  hopeful  converts  went  forth 
with  a  holy,  chastened  gratitude  and  trust.  We  tremble 
for  them  among  their  wicked  friends,  but  rejoice  that 
Israel's  Shepherd  will  keep  his  own." 

Their  prayer  was,  "  May  we  not  carry  to  our  homes  the 
poison  of  the  second  death  in  our  hearts,  but  bear  to  them 
the  seeds  of  eternal  life." 

But  the  rich  blessings  bestowed  in  Oroomiah  were  not 


PRAYERFULNESS.  189 

all  in  answer  to  prayer  ascending  from  that  place.  There 
was  a  connection  between  them  and  prayer  offered  in  our 
own  country,  of  which  David  would  say,  "  Whoso  is  wise, 
and  will  observe  it,  even  he  shall  understand  the  loving 
kindness  of  the  Lord."  Most  of  the  revivals  in  Oroomiah 
commenced  on  the  day  of  the  monthly  concert  of  prayer, 
and  several  on  or  immediately  after  the  first  Monday  in 
January  —  a  day  specially  set  apart  to  prayer  for  mis- 
sions. But  there  was  a  special  centre  of  prayer  for  the 
Female  Seminary  in  the  institution  at  South  Hadley ;  and 
pious  hearts  loved  to  watch  the  connection  between  the 
two.  While  the  two  inquirers,  on  that  first  Monday  in 
1846,  were  making  closets  for  themselves  with  the  sticks 
of  wood  in  the  cellar,  some  of  Miss  Lyon's  pupils  distinctly 
remember  how  she  said  to  them  that  morning,  "  We  must 
pray  more  for  Miss  Fiske  and  her  school."  They  did  so ; 
and  they  remember,  too,  how  the  good  news  of  the  revival 
cheered  them,  when  it  came. 

The  earliest  indication  of  interest,  in  1847,  was  on  the 
first  Monday  in  January ;  and  letters  afterwards  told  of 
special  prayer  for  the  school  offered  that  day  in  South 
Hadley.  Almost  every  letter  written  during  the  winter 
of  1849  contained  similar*  information.  The  revival  of 
1856  came  suddenly  and  unexpectedly ;  but  when,  on  the 
night  of  February  17th,  one  of  the  praying  pupils  could  not 
sleep,  because,  as  she  said,  "  the  whole  school  was  resting 
on  her,"  and  at  midnight  went  to  her  teacher  to  ask  her 
help  in  prayer,  subsequent  letters  from  America  showed, 
that  on  that  night  she  wrestled  not  alone.  In  1857,  the 
first  inquiry  for  the  way  of  life  was  on  the  last  Thursday 
in  February,  the  day  of  prayer  for  institutions  of  learn- 
ing. Miss  Fiske  returned  from  the  Februaiy  concert  of 
prayer,  in  1858,  feeling  depressed  on  account  of  the  want 


190  WOMAN   AND   HER  SAVIOUR. 

of  interest  in  the  school,  and  in  half  an  hour  was  called  to 
see  two  of  her  pupils,  who  felt  that  they  could  not  remain 
the  enemies  of  God.  In  the  first  week  of  February,  1859, 
meetings  were  held  every  evening  in  the  Seminary  at 
South  Hadley  to  pray  for  the  school  in  Oroomiah ;  and  a 
letter  from  Miss  Rice,  written  that  week,  says,  "God  is 
with  us ;  souls  are  seeking  Christ ;  and  I  am  so  strengthened 
for  labor,  that  I  am  sure  Christian  friends  are  praying  for 
us  more  than  they  did  last  month."  Do  Christians  in  this 
country  realize  as  they  ought  the  connection  between  their 
prayers  and  the  blessings  bestowed  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  globe  ?  Do  we  go  to  the  monthly  concert  believing 
that  prayer,  offered  then  and  there,  will,  through  infinite 
grace  in  Christ  Jesus,  result  in  the  salvation  of  souls  and 
the  advancement  of  his  kingdom  ?  Such  facts  as  these 
ought  surely  to  increase  our  faith.  Well  might  a  mission- 
ary say,  "  I  have  so  often  felt  sure  that  I  was  reaping  in 
answer  to  the  prayers  of  those  far  away,  that  on  this  sub- 
ject my  heart  is  full,  and  my  first  and  last  word  to  friends 
is,  'Pray  for  us.'" 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

FORERUNNERS. 

MOUNTAIN    GIRLS    IN    SEMINARY.  PRAYING    SARAH. RETURN    TO    THE 

MOUNTAINS.  —  VISIT     OF    YONAN     AND     KHAMIS,     IN     1850.  OF     MR. 

COAN,   1851.  OF    YONAN,  AGAIN,    1861. SARAH'S    LETTERS. 

But  rich  as  are  the  benefits  conferred  on  the  females 
of  the  plain,  the  influence  of  the  Seminary  is  not  confined 
to  Persia.  It  has  climbed  the  rugged  steeps  of  Kurdistan, 
and  pours  into  its  wild  glens  and  secluded  hamlets  the 
same  spiritual  blessings.  It  is  delightful  to  trace  the  way 
in  which  God  has  led  to  results,  .as  yet  only  beginning  to 
appear,  among  the  mountain  Nestorians. 

As  the  Semimary  could  not  enter  the  mountains,  Provi- 
dence brought  the  mountains  to  the  Seminary.  In  1843, 
Badir  Khan  Beg  sacked  and  burned  the  villages  of  Tiary, 
and. the  homeless  fugitives  who  escaped  the  sword  fled  to 
the  plains  of  Assyria  and  Azerbijan.  Towards  the  close  of 
that  year,  a  miserable  group  presented  themselves  at  the 
Seminary  door  for  charity,  asking  for  the  lady  who  teaches 
Nestorian  girls.  The  quick  eye  of  the  teacher  detected 
three  in  the  company  before  her,  and  replied,  "  Silver  and 
gold  we  have  not,  but  such  as  we  have  we  will  give  you  —  a 
home  for  these  children."  This  sent  them  away  sorrowful, 
for  it  was  not  what  they  wanted.  But  while  the  parents 
retired  to  the  shade  of  the  tall  sycamores  to  debate  the 

(191) 


192  WOMAN   AND   HER  8AYICUR. 

matter,  the  little  ones,  attracted  by  kindness  in  a  stranger, 
staid  with  their  new  friend.  By  and  by  the  parents  came 
back,  and,  falling  on  the  necks  of  their  children,  told  them 
they  might  stay,  till  they  returned  to  Tiary.  The  teacher 
never  heard  a  more  gentle  and  subdued  "thank  you" 
than  this  announcement  called  forth  from  those  mountain 
girls.  This  was  the  first  movement  of  the  school  towards 
the  evangelization  of  Kurdistan,  and  it  will  be  seen  how 
Providence  led  the  Seminary  at  Seir  in  the  same  path. 

The  girls  were  taken  in,  washed,  and  clothed ;  and  though 
at  first  they  knew  no  more  of  good  manners  than  of  the 
alphabet,  they  made  commendable  progress  in  both.  Bet- 
ter than  that,  Sarah  and  Nazee  became  hopefully  pious  in 
the  revival  of  1846,  and  Helen  eh  three  years  afterwards. 

The  last  days  of  the  spring  term,  in  1849,  as  we  have  seen, 
were  full  of  interest.  The  teachers  did  not  understand  it 
then,  but  now  they  see  that  God  was  preparing  his  first 
messengers  to  the  rude  mountaineers  for  the  work  before 
them.  Among  a  company  of  praying  ones,  Sarah  had  long 
been  known  as  "the  praying  Sarah."  She  was  the  pupil 
whom  Deacon  Isaac  invited  to  come  and  pray  *  with  him ; 
and  the  strong  man  bowed  before  the  simple  piety  of  that 
mountain  girl.  Her  mind  was  not  so  gifted  as  many  of  her 
associates.  She  comprehended  truth  with  difficulty,  but 
she  prayed  with  all  prayer  and  supplication  in  the  spirit. 
At  this  time  an  unusual  spirit  of  prayer  was  imparted  to 
the  school.  The  prospect  of  vacation,  instead  of  divert- 
ing the  mind  from  devotion,  seemed  to  produce  intenser 
earnestness.  The  voice  of  prayer  fell  on  -the  ears  of  the 
teachers  at  all  hours,  except  the  most  silent  watch  of  the 
night.  After  the  eveniug  meeting,  some  spent  two  hours 
in  their  closets,  and  others  of  the  older  pupils  could  not 

*  See  page  151. 


FORERUNNERS.  193 

leave  till  they  had  prayed  with  each  one  in  the  school  alone. 
On  the  last  morning  of  the  term,  they  separated  with  many 
tears  and  fervent  supplications.  The  quiet  of  the  hour 
seemed  a  foretaste  of  the  rest  of  heaven.  Not  a  loud  voice, 
heavy  step,  or  harshly  shutting  door  was  heard  in  all  the 
house.  All  was  so  sacredly  quiet  that  the  still  small  voice 
might  be  heard  the  more  distinctly.  The  teachers  sent  out 
the  lambs  from  the  fold  with  feelings  of  peculiar  anxiety. 
Some  were  to  go  into  families  where  every  soul  would 
gladly  undo  in  them  the  work  of  the  Spirit ;  others  to  vil- 
lages where  not  one  heart  could  enter  into  their  feelings  as 
the  followers  of  Christ ;  and  as  they  went  forth,  their  teach- 
ers prayed,  from  full  hearts,  that  the  Shepherd  of  Israel 
would  himself  be  to  them  for  a  little  sanctuary  in  the  places 
where  they  went. 

While  their  thoughts  were  on  such  of  their  flock  as 
belonged  to  the  plain,  the  thoughts  of  God  were  on  those 
also  whom  he  was  about  to  send  forth  to  a  life-long  sepa- 
ration from  these  means  of  grace.  As  late  as  ten  o'clock, 
on  the  evening  after  the  close  of  the  term,  Miss  Fiske  heard 
the  voice  of  prayer  for  the  absent  ones,  and  fearing  that  the 
occupant  of  the  closet  was  transgressing  the  laws  of  health, 
she  approached  the  door,  intending  to  enter,  and  advise  her 
to  retire;  but  as  she  listened  to  her  strong  crying,  with 
tears,  for  each  of  the  school  by  name,  she  could  not  find  it 
in  her  heart  to  disturb  the  intercessions  of  Sarah.  She  Avas 
then  a  great  bodily  sufferer,  but  very  patient,  and  for  a  long 
time  had  not  spent  less  than  four  hours  daily  in  her  closet. 
The  next  day  her  disease  assumed  a  serious  form,  and  for 
more  than  a  week  she  hovered  on  the  borders  of  the  grave. 
Several  times  she  appeared  to  have  drawn  her  last  breath. 
But  though  her  sick  room  seemed  to  all  like  the  gate  of 
heaven,  and  though  to  her  the  dai*k  valley  was  all  light, 
17 


194  WOMAN    AND    HER    SAVIOUR, 

and  she  longed  to  embrace  the  messenger  who  should  lead 
her  through,  it  was  not  her  Father's  will  to  call  her  then. 
She  was  at  first  disappointed  at  the  prospect  of  coming 
back  to  the  world ;  yet  still  she  sweetly  said,  "  Thy  will  be. 
done,"  as  God  restored  her  to  health,  with  its  responsi- 
bilities and  temptations. 

April  came,  and  a  scarcity  in  the  plain,  occasioned  by 
locusts,  drove  the  fugitives  from  Tiary  back  to  their  moun- 
tains. The  teachers  hoped  the  girls  might  remain,  and 
besought  their  parents  to  allow  them  to  do  so,  but  in  vain. 
They  were  only  too  glad  to  get  their  daughters  away  from 
influences  which  in  their  blindness  they  abhorred.  But 
God  intended  through  these  daughters  to  lay  the  founda- 
tions of  many  generations,  and  build  again  the  old  waste 
places  of  those  mountains. 

It  was  hard  for  them  to  go.  How  could  they  leave  their 
Christian  home,  and  the  means  of  grace  they  had  enjoyed 
so  much  ?  It  was  no  less  hard  for  the  teachers  to  think  of 
those  lambs  as  about  to  be  left  at  the  mercy  of  wolves,  in 
rocky  glens,  so  far  away  that  no  cry  of  distress  would  ever 
reach  them.  Yea,  even  if  those  loved  ones  died,  long 
years  might  pass  ere  their  friends  could  hear  of  their  death. 
Those  were  clays  of  sadness,  and  communion  with  God  was 
the  only  comfort  of  all,  and  especially  of  Sarah. 

On  the  day  of  their  departure,  the  whole  school  came 
together,  in  the  room  of  the  teachers,  for  the  parting  prayer. 
All  was  silent,  till  the  three  asked  to  go  and  bid  a  farewell 
to  their  closets.  They  went,  and  only  He  who  seeth  in 
secret  knows  how  they  prayed.  They  returned  weeping. 
A  few  words  of  comfort  were  uttered,  and  the  teachers 
commended  them  to  God.  They  rose  from  their  knees, 
but  only  to  kneel  again ;  for  one  of  the  pupils  proposed  that 
all  who  would  pledge  themselves  to  remember  their  Tiary 


FORERUNNERS.  195 

sisters  in  every  prayer  should  join  hands  around  them, 
commend  them  to  the  good  Shepherd,  and  give  to  him 
their  pledge.  About  twenty  thus  enclosed  the  departing 
sisters,  and  so  they  continued  in  prayer  until  the  last  mo- 
ment. As  the  dear  ones  passed  out,  they  could  not  speak, 
they  whispered  but  one  word,  —  "  the  promise,"  —  and  so 
they  went.  For  years  after,  no  prayer  was  heard  within 
those  walls  that  did  not  contain  a  petition  for  "blessings 
on  our  Tiary  sisters." 

Many  a  time  had  her  teacher  noticed  the  large  folio  page 
of  Sarah's  Syriac  Testament  wet  with  her  tears,  and  after 
she  left,  found  the  whitewash  of  the  Avail  in  her  closet 
furrowed  with  the  same.  It  opened  out  of  the  passage  be- 
hind the  door  on  the  left  of  the  engraving.  She  did  not 
tell  this  to  the  school,  lest  superstition  should  attach  an 
idolatrous  sacredness  to  the  place ;  and  yet  she  coitld  not 
obliterate  marks  that  to  her  own  heart  were  so  full  of  com- 
fort. Sarah  had  gone  but  a  little  way  before  she  pleaded 
with  her  parents  to  stop,  and  allow  her  to  retire  a  little 
from  the  road  for  prayer. 

And  so,  weeping  and  praying  as  they  went,  these  lambs 
were  led  into  the  dark  recesses  of  a  den  of  lions.  We  shall 
see  persecution  raging,  pitiless  as  the  mountain  storm,  and 
long  continued.  But  we  shall  also  see  the  Hearer  of  prayer 
preserving  them  unharmed ;  and  if  we  hear  more  from  the 
others  than  from  Sarah,  it  may  be  that  the  revelation  of  the 
answers  to  her  prayers  is  reserved  for  that  day  which  shall 
unfold  displays  of  grace  too  glorious  for  comprehension  here. 

Nothing  was  heard  from  them  till  October,  1850,  when 
Yonan  and  Khamis  entei-ed  those  rocky  fastnesses  to 
gather  tidings  of  them.  They  spent  the  first  Sabbath  of 
the  month  in  the  house  of  Nazee;  but  she  was  absent. 
They  say  in  their  journal, — 


196  WOMAN  AND  HER  SAVIOUR. 

"We  preached  three  times  to  large  assemblies.  They 
brought  us  Nazee's  Testament  to  preach  from,  and  seemed 
accustomed  to  the  sound  of  the  gospel.  In  respectful  at- 
tention to  the  word,  as  well  as  in  knowledge,  they  were  far 
superior  to  other  villages  in  Tiary.  This  we  knew  was  the 
result  of  her  teachings.  Monday  we  waited  her  return. 
She  came  about  noon.  How  can  we  express  the  joy  of 
that  meeting!  We  spent  another  night  there,  the  most  of 
it  in  sweet  Christian  conversation  with  Nazee.  We  were 
surprised  at  the  respect  shown  to  her,  and  the  restraint  felt 
in  her  presence.  If  any  chanced  to  swear,  he  at  once  went 
and  asked  pardon  for  thus  injuring  her  feelings.  Tuesday 
Ave  had  to  leave,  lest  we  should  be  detained  by  the  snow 
till  spring.  We  longed  to  pray  with  her  before  we  left,  but 
custom  here  forbade  it;  yet  she  accompanied  us  a  little 
on  our  way,  which  gave  us  an  opportunity  to  mingle  our 
prayers  and  tears  together.  As  we  bade  her  farewell,  she 
said,  weeping,  'Here  is  my  love  for  my  teachers,  for  my 
sisters  in  the  school,  for  the  missionaries,  their  children, 
and  all  that  know  me.  Tell  them  to  remember  me  in  their 
prayers,  that  God  may  keep  me  in  this  place  of  tempta- 
tion.' We  left  her  looking  after  us,  and  wiping  away  her 
tears,  till  we  were  out  of  sight. 

"  We  went  that  day  to  the  village  of  the  other  two.  As 
soon  asHeleneh  saw  us,  she  began  to  weep,  thinking  of  the 
past.  Sarah  we  did  not  see;  she  was  in  another  village, 
very  anxious  to  come,  but  her  wicked  husband,  whom  she 
had  been  forced  to  marry,  would  not  permit  it.  We  spent 
the  night  with  Heleneh,  and  preached  to  a  large  company. 
Next  morning  Ave  left,  and  she  too,  with  tears,  begged  that 
all  her  friends  in  Oroomiah  would  remember  her  in  their 
prayers." 

Was  Sarah  preA'ented  from  seeing  her  Christian  friends, 


FORERUNNERS.  197 

that  God  might  show  hereafter  how,  without  even  that 
help,  he  could  answer  the  prayers  of  others  for  her,  and  her 
own  ? 

The  next  we  hear  of  them  is  through  Mr.  Coan,  who 
visited  Tiary  in  August,  1851.  The  writer  can  understand 
his  account  of  crossing  the  Zab,  as  the  bridge  was  in  the 
same  condition  when  he  crossed  it  with  the  late  Dr.  Aza- 
riah  Smith,  August  31st,  1844.     But  hear  Mr.  Coan  :  — 

"A  toilsome  day,  over  the  roughest  of  roads,  brought 
us  opposite  Chumba.  The  bridge  had  been  swept  away,  and 
fording  such  a  torrent  was  impossible.  Two  long  poplar 
trees  spanned  the-  flood ;  and  we  crossed  on  them,  bending 
under  us  at  every  step.  Nazee  was, on  the  bank,  ready  to 
greet  us.  After  a  few  words  of  salutation  and  kind  in- 
quiry, she  hastened  to  prepare  a  place  for  us ;  and  while 
doing  this,  the  malik  took  us  to  his  house.  She  was  much 
disappointed,  but  followed,  anxious  to  treasure  up  every 
word.  After  supper,  we  spoke  long  to  the  company  assem- 
bled on  the  roof.  It  was  affecting  to  see  how  eagerly  she 
listened.  She  staid  after  the  rest,  for  religious  conversa- 
tion, till  near  midnight,  when  she  apologized  for  keeping 
us  up  so  late.  She  is  cruelly  persecuted  by  her  wicked 
mother  and  ungodly  neighbors ;  for  she  is  a  shining  light, 
by  which  the  dark  deeds  of  the  wicked  are  reproved ;  and 
hence  their  hatred.  When  Mar  Shimon's  attendants  come, 
they  treat  her  with  wanton  cruelty.  Some  friends  in 
America  had  sent  her  several  articles  of.  clothing ;  but  her 
neighbors  came  together  and  tore  them  in  jneces  before 
her  eyes.  She  bore  it  meekly,  and  only  prayed  for  them. 
She  expected  fresh  insults  because  of  our  visit,  but  prayed 
that  nothing  might  separate  her  from  the  love  of  Christ. 
Long  before  day,  she  again  sought  to  improve  every  mo- 
ment for  Christian  conversation.  We  tried  to  comfort  her: 
17* 


198  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

and  her  eyes  filled  with  tears  of  gratitude.  She  received  a 
copy  of  the  Gospels  with  joy.  When  we  left,  she  followed 
us,  lonely  and  sad,  to  the  river  side.  I  opened  her  Testa- 
ment, and  pointed  to  Matt.  xi.  28 :  '  Come  unto  me,  all  ye 
that  labor,  and  are  heavy  laden  ; '  but  her  voice  choked,  and 
tears  prevented  her  reading.  We  kneeled  by  the  roaring 
Zab,  and  in  broken  accents  commended  her  to  Him  who 
will  keep  her,  for  his  promise  is  sure." 

For  ten  long  years  we  hear  nothing  of  either  of  the 
three ;  till,  in  September,  1861,  Yonan  —  the  same  who  found 
them  in  1850  —  and  another  preacher  visited  the  mountains. 
In  a  village  of  Tiary,  some  two  thousand  people  were 
keeping  the  feast  of  the  cross  —  eating,  drinking,  dancing, 
and  carousing.  They  sat  down  among  the  quietest  of  the 
crowd.  Heleneh  came  up  and  saluted  them.  Though  she 
had  not  seen  her  teacher  for  eleven  years,  she  recognized 
him  at  once.  They  talked  from  morning  till  near  sunset. 
As  they  spoke  of  old  friends,  Yonan  asked,  "  Heleneh,  do 
you  remember  where  our  Lord  was  crucified  ?  "  "  On  Cal- 
vary. Can  I  forget  Calvary?"  as  though  grieved  that  he 
should  think  she  could  forget.  Yonan  gave  her  a  ker- 
chief for  the  head,  saying,  "  Take  this,  and  remember  me 
by  it."  "  Shall  I  remember  you  by  this  ?  "  was  the  reply. 
"I  will  remember  you  in  my  prayers."  "Do  you  pray, 
Heleneh?"  —  She  was  the  last  one  converted,  and  left 
Oroomiah  soon  after  her  conversion ;  so  he  wanted  to 
know  whether  she  still  held  on  her  Christian  way.  —  "  Al- 
ways," was  the  answer.  They  sought  a  place  to  pray 
together ;  and  though  they  might  not  go  away  alone,  yet 
there,  in  sight,  but  not  in  hearing  of  the  crowd,  they 
approached  the  mercy  seat,  the  spectators  little  dreaming 
of  the  nature  of  their  intercourse.  It  was  delightful  to 
find  that  she  had  not  forgotten  the  language  or  the  spirit 
of  devotion. 


FORERUNNERS. 


199 


The  accompanying  sketch  of  a  Tiary  girl  will  show  how 
the  kerchief  is  worn.  It  also  exhibits  the  mode  of  using 
the  Oriental  spindle,  which  is  probably  a  fac-simile  of  the 
article  mentioned  by  Solomon.     (Prov.  xxxi.  19.) 


A    TIARY    GIRL. 


The  other  two  were  not  at  the  feast ;  so,  next  day,  they 
left  to  seek  them  at  their  homes.  Nazee  was  absent,  but 
came  home  in  the  morning —  a  widow  with  two  children.. 
She  was  delighted,  and  even  her  children  seemed  to  recog- 
nize in  the  strangers  their  mother's  friends.  She  was  poor ; 
her  house  had  been  burned,  and  almost  all  it  contained ;  but 
a  stone  was  on  her  Testament,  and  that  was  saved.  They 
talked  long  with  her,  and  gave  her  a  copy  of  the  Rays  of 
Light  (the  monthly  periodical  issued  by  the  mission),  and 
a  pencil  to  write  to  her  friends.     She  gave  them  letters 


200  WOMAN    AND    HER    SAVIOUR. 

written  ten  years  before,  which  she  had  penned  in  secret, 
and  carried  about  with  her  ever  since,  waiting  an  oppor- 
tunity to  send  them. 

The  next  day,  another  long  journey  brought  them  to  the 
home  of  Sarah ;  she  saw  them  coming  and  hastened  to  meet 
them ;  but  that  very  night  she  had  to  leave  for  a  distant 
village :  yet  not  till  in  answer  to  prayer  they  had  an  op- 
portunity to  pray  together;  and  the  friends  left  that  vil- 
lage happy ;  for,  as  Yonan  said,  they  "  found  her,  like  the 
others,  having  the  love  of  our  Christ  in  her  heart." 

That  solitary  disciple,  through  those  long  years  of  seclu- 
sion, never  hearing  the  voice  of  Christian  fellowship,  or 
knowing  whether  her  pious  friends  were  alive,  or  if  her 
sisters  still  remembered  their  j^ledge,  was  yet  kept  of  God 
according  to  his  promise ;  and  it  is  interesting  to  see  that 
she  does  not  once  allude  to  her  persecutions  in  her  letters, 
but  only  solicits  the  prayers  of  her  friends  for  her  relatives 
and  neighbors ;  and  then,  while  both  Mr.  Coan  and  her 
teacher  testify  to  her  usefulness,  with  what  humility  does 
she  allude  to  herself,  and  "the  very  little  she  has  made 
known  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

Extracts  from  the  letters  that  she  kept  so  long  here  fol- 
low. The  first,  to  friends  in  Midcllebury,  Vermont,  is  dated 
September,  1851,  and  reads  thus :  — 

"  To  you,  dear  friends,  I  write  a  letter  unworthy  and 
imperfect,  in  which  I  make  known  to  you  my  lost  con- 
dition and  my  present  abode.  Know  ye  that  a  little 
more  than  two  years  ago  I  left  the  Seminary,  and  came 
with  my  friends  to  our  country.  I  did  not  wish  to  leave 
so  soon,  for  I  had  learned  but  very  imperfectly  what  the 
Scriptures  teach  about  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  But  my 
mother  was  not  willing  I  should  remain,  for  her  heart  is 


FORERUNNERS.  201 

yet  hard  and  dark.  Know,  then,  dear  sisters  in  Christ,  I 
dwell  in  Tiary,  in  the  village  of  Chumba,  about  six  days' 
journey  from  Oroomiah.  Again,  though  so  far  away, 
know  ye,  that  your  letter  reached  me  in  May.  It  was 
translated  and  sent  to  me  by  Mr.  Perkins,  our  beloved 
father,  whom  we  are  unworthy  to  call  such.  My  dear 
sisters,  when  I  took  your  letter  in  my  hands  and  read,  my 
heart  longed  to  fly  and  sit  down  by  you,  and  behold  your 
faces  in  the  body ;  but  I  said,  "  The  will  of  the  Lord,  not 
mine,  be  done."  When  I  look  within  myself,  and  see 
not  a  place  worthy  to  cherish  gratitude  to  God  for  his 
great  mercy  and  grace,  which  he  hath  wrought  for  us,  sin- 
ful and  unworthy,  I  liken  myself  to  the  slothful  servant, 
who  did  not  the  will  of  his  Lord.  Yet,  O,  my  sisters, 
though  I  have  not  done  the  will  of  my  Saviour,  I  have 
hope  in  him  that  I  shall  do  it,  and  serve  him  henceforth  so 
Ions:  as  I  am  in  this  world  —  fleeting  as  a  dream  in  the 
night. 

Though  our  country  has  been,  in  time  past,  greatly 
afflicted  by  the  Koords,  yet  God  has  spared  many  of  us, 
who  had  sinned  and  trodden  under  our  feet  the  blood  of 
his  holy  Son.  But  do  not  marvel  that  we  have  sorrow 
from  the  scourge  God  brought  upon  us  for  our  sins.  No. 
Still  every  day  we  provoke  our  Maker  more  and  more. 
Then  ought  we  not  to  mourn  over  this  people,  lost  and  fallen 
under  the  yoke  of  Satan  ?  For  should  you  go  through  all 
Tiary,  you  would  not  find  one  soul  that  fears  the  Lord,  but 
all  bound  in  fetters  not  to  be  loosed.  If  God  do  not  loose 
them,  quickly  will  they  perish  ;  and  not  this  country  only, 
but  many  others,  sit  under  the  shadow  of  death  and  walk 
in  darkness,  going  to  destruction.  Then,  dear  sisters, 
though  unworthy,  Ave  should  increase  our  painful  efforts, 
and  our  prayers  to  God,  that  speedily  his  kingdom   may 


202  WOMAN   AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 

come  and  his  will  be  done  on  eartb  as  it  is  done  in  beaven, 
tbat  all  regions  may  know  bim  and  praise  bim  forever. 
Beloved  sisters,  I  am  unworthy  to  thank  you,  and  still 
more  to  thank  God,  who  has  disposed  you  to  show  such 
kindness  to  my  poor  body,  and  yet  more  to  my  perishing 
soul,  with  words  so  gentle  and  full  of  love ;  yet  greatly  do 
I  thank  you. 

Again,  dear  friends,  I  have  one  request  to  make  —  tbat 
every  time  you  bow  before  God,  the  Father  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  and  of  all  who  love  bim,  you  will  remenP 
ber  me  in  your  prayers,  for  I  am  very  needy,  and  there  is 
great  danger  that  my  soul  will  perish  forever.  Remember 
also  my  mother,  and  all  my  friends,  sinners,  and  on  their 
way  to  destruction.  Know  ye,  further,  that  I  conceal  the 
writing  of  this  because  they  would  not  allow  me  openly 
to  write,  for  they  are  very  foolish  and  benighted.  Accept, 
then,  this  poor  letter,  as  a  token  of  friendship  and  grati- 
tude, in  the  love  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

From  your  unworthy  and  sinful  sister, 

ISTazee,  of  Tiary.     Amen. 

The  following  are  extracts  from  another  letter  to  the 
same  persons:  — 

"  Though  we  are  far  from  each  other  in  this  evil  world, 
yet  I  hope  that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  will  make  us  pure 
from  sin,  and  worthy  of  his  kingdom,  where  we  shall  see 
each  other  with  that  light  which  shall  not  end,  in  the  joy 
of  the  holy  angels.  Ah,  my  friends,  how  great  are  our 
mercies  and  we  how  unworthy,  but  especially  I!  —  un- 
worthy of  the  gift  of  the  gospel  of  God,  which  I  have 
received,  that  I  might  make  it  known  to  lost  souls  around 
me.  But  know  ye,  very  little  have  I  made  known  about 
our   Lord   Jesus    Christ.     Now,  dear  friends,  I   desire   to 


FORERUNNERS.  203 

speak  of  him  to  lost  souls,  in  the  imperfection  of  my  mind. 
But  many  do  not  desire  even  to  hear  of  the  sound  doctrine 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  yet  think  to  gain  heaven, 
while  they  practise  in  this  world  according  to  their  wicked 
desires.  And  for  this  reason,  O  my  sisters,  I  beseech  you 
that  you  will  remember  this  people,  lost  and  fallen  under 
the  snares  of  Satan ;  especially  my  mother,  and  brother,  and 
all  my  friends.  But  more  especially,  I  beseech  you  to  re- 
member me,  a  sinner,  in  your  prayers,  every  time  that  you 
bow  the  knee  before  God,  the  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  the  Father  of  all  who  fear  him,  and  listen  to 
his  commandments." 

Accompanying  these  was  the  following  to  Dr.  Perkins, 
dated  October  3d,  1851  :  — 

"  To  you,  O  my  spiritual  father,  Mr.  Perkins,  I  presume 
to  send  two  letters,  for  friends  in  Middlebury.  If  you 
please,  you  will  translate  them,  and  send  them ;  but  I  fear 
that  they  will  give  you  much  trouble. 

"Again,  you  wrote  me  in  your  letter,  that  I  should 
teach  children  to  read.  Now,  I  am  very  needy  myself  of 
instruction.  Yet  I  desire  that  that  might  be  my  em- 
ployment. But  that  is  a  very  difficult  matter  among  such 
a  people,  of  whom  you  have  heard  that  although  there 
may  be  here  and  there  one  who  would  walk  in  this  way, 
yet  there  is  a  stone  of  stumbling  and  a  rock  of  offence 
therein  ;  so  that  every  one  that  goeth  in  it,  his  foot  stum- 
bleth,  and  quickly  he  turns  back. 

"Again,  0  friend  beloved,  though  I  am  unworthy  to  call 
you  such,  yet  I  beseech  you  that  you  remember  me  always 
in  your  prayers.  I  know  that  you  do  remember  me,  but  I 
desire  that  you  remember  me  more,  for  I  greatly  fear  for 
my  perishing  soul.  Greatly  do  I  desire  to  see  you  once 
more  in  this  world,  if  the  Lord  will." 


204  WOMAN   AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 

He  who  is  wonderful  in  counsel  and  excellent  in  work- 
ing, commissioned  these  praying  souls  to  prepare  his  way 
in  the  mountains,  even  as  he  chose  those  other  three  to 
show  forth  his  grace  in  death  ;  and  they  who  live  to  mark 
the  future  course  of  the  river  of  life  in  those  rocky  glens 
will  find,  we  trust,  that  his  strength  was  made  perfect  in 
their  weakness. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

LABORERS   IN   THE   MOUNTAINS. 

LETTER    OF    BADAL. ACCOUNT     OF     HANNAH. —  THE    PIT. —  LETTER    OF 

GULY  AND  YOHANAN.  ACCOUNT    OF  SARAH. LETTERS    OF    OSHANA. 

—  LETTERS     AND    JOURNAL     OF     SARAH.  LETTER     FROM    AMADIA.  — 

CONFERENCE    OF   NATIVE    HELPERS. 

Besides  these,  the  Seminary  has  sent  up  other  laborers 
into  the  same  field.  At  the  monthly  concert  in  Oroomiah, 
June,  1858,  there  were  present  four  graduates,  with  their 
husbands,  either  going  there  for  the  first  time,  or  returning 
to  resume  their  labors.  Guly,  the  wife  of  Yohanan,  who 
had  already  spent  one  year  in  little  Jeloo,  was  now  about 
to  return  there  with  her  husband.  Nargis,  the  wife  of 
Khamis,  who  had  spent  the  winter  laboring  alone  in  the 
vicinity  of  Amadia,  on  the  Turkish  side  of  the  mountains, 
was  now  with  him,  going  back  to  Gawar.  Hannah,  the 
wife  of  Badal,  who  had  sent  her  husband,  three  days  after 
marriage,  to  his  winter's  campaign  in  the  same  region,  was 
now  accompanying  him  to  the  chosen  field  of  his  labors ; 
and  Eneza,  the  wife  of  Shlemon,  his  associate,  was  also 
expecting  to  leave  in  a  few  days. 

By  the  way  of  introducing  the  reader  to  one  of  these 
laborers,  we  subjoin  a  letter  from  Badal  to  Miss  Fiske, 
dated  December  12th,  1859.  It  is  a  good  specimen  of  Ori- 
ental style. 

"  Writing  to  you  brings  to  mind  many  sweet  conversa- 
18  (205) 


203  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

tions  with  you.  Dwelling  on  them,  my  mind  is  sad.  My 
sighs  rise  like  the  swelling  stream,  and  almost  carry  me 
away,  especially  when  I  look  at  your  garden,  where  you 
labored  with  so  much  skill  to  graft  in  these  wild  olive 
plants,  cutting  off  your  sleep  with  watchings  by  night,  that 
they  should  not  be  rooted  up  by  the  desert  wind.  Thus 
you  watched  them,  till  they  became  as  noble  forest  trees 
that  not  even  the  avalanche  can  overturn.  Your  garden, 
now,  not  only  gives  a  shade  pleasant  to  the  traveller,  but 
it  yields  sweet  fruits ;  clouds  rise  from  it  that  give  us  the 
early  and  the  latter  rain  ;  they  empty  themselves,  —  the  plain 
rejoices,  and  the  barren  places  become  verdant.  Yes,  the 
vine  that  you  planted  has  budded,  and  blossomed,  and  gives 
of  its  fruit  to  every  passer  by.  Come  to  us,  our  beloved, 
open  the  door  of  your  garden,  that  the  traveller  may  enter 
in  and  be  refreshed.  You  have  left  many  pleasant  remem- 
brances in  the  work  of  your  hands.  On  every  side  you 
have  left  a  picture  for  our  eyes,  and  the  skilful  work  of 
your  hands  (his  wife),  lo,  and  behold!  it  is  with  me.  I 
cannot  be  silent.  My  voice  shall  be  heard  as  the  turtle's : 
'  Behold,  your  feet  are  within  my  doors,  and  your  counsels 
are  ever  in  my  family.'  The  Lord  reward  you  for  these 
pupils,  that  you  have  taught  to  be  patient  and  persevering, 
so  that  they  truly  help  us  in  the  work  of  life. 

"Beloved,  give  my  love  to  your  friends,  and  ask  them, 
when  they  go  up  to  Shiloh  to  offer  sacrifice,  to  place  me  in 
the  censer  of  their  prayers. 

"  We  are  troubled  that  as  yet  we  know  not  the  Lord's 
thoughts  concerning  you,  —  whether  he  will  allow  you  to 
meet  your  flock  again,  or  says  to  you  as  to  Daniel,  '  Thou 
shalt  rest,  and  stand  in  thy  lot  at  the  end  of  the  days.' 
Like  Moses,  you  are  gathered  to  your  fathers;  but  Miss 
Rice  stands  like  Joshua,  commanding  the  sun  not  to  go 


LABORERS   IN   THE   MOUNTAINS.  207 

clown  till  the  sword  of  the  gospel  shall  triumph.  We 
thank  the  Lord  that  she  is  still  a  judge  in  Israel,  so  that  as 
yet  the  sceptre  has  not  departed  from  Judah. 

"  Your  affectionate  friend,    -        Badal." 

There  are  some  things  about  Hannah,  and  the  work  of 
divine  grace  in  her,  that  demand  grateful  record. 

She  was  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  most  intelligent  and 
wealthy  Nestorians,  who  placed  her  in  the  Seminary  as 
early  as  1845.  She  was  then  quite  small,  and  the  teacher 
objected  very  much  to  taking  her ;  but  paternal  importu- 
nity prevailed.  As  soon  as  her  father  turned  to  go,  she 
began  to  scream ;  but  he  left,  saying  she  must  remain, 
and  "learn  wisdom"  The  kind  teacher  took  her  in  her 
lap  to  soothe  her ;  but  it  was  of  no  use ;  her  bleeding  hands 
bore  the  marks  of  the  nails  of  her  new  protegee  for  weeks. 
She  called  for  her  father,  but  he  was  intentionally  out  of 
hearing. 

The  child  remained,  but  learned  wisdom  very  slowly. 
She  had  her  fits  of  rage  so  often,  that  she  was  sent  home 
sometimes  for  weeks,  and  again  for  months.  She  made  little 
progress,  either  in  study  or  other  good,  till  the  winter  of  1850, 
when  she  seemed  to  begin  to  love  the  truth  ;  yet,  though  her 
general  deportment  was  correct,  she  often  showed  such  a  de- 
termined will,  that  her  instructors  feared  she  had  never  said 
from  the  heart,  "Not  my  will, but  thine,"  and  often  told  her 
that,  if  she  was  a  Christian,  God  would,  in  love,  subdue  that 
will.  She  could  not  feel  her  need  of  this,  and  thought 
that  they  required  too  much  of  her.  So  they  were  obliged 
to  leave  her  with  God,  and  he  cared  for  her  in  an  unusual 
way.  The  mission  premises  had  formerly  been  occupied 
by  an  Oriental  bath  ;  and  here  and  there  were  old  pits, 
once   used   for   carrying  off  the  water,  but  now   covered 


208  WOMAN   AND   HER  SAVIOUR. 

up,  so  that  no  one  knew  where  they  were.  One  evening 
Miss  Fiske  called  the  girls  together,  and  told  them  some 
things  she  wished  they  would  refrain  from.  They  prom- 
ised compliance,  and  went  out ;  but  hardly  had  they  gone 
before  their  teacher  heard  the  cry,  "  Hannah  is  in  the  well ! " 
She  ran  there,  but  all  was  right.  Then  they  led  her  to  an 
opening  just  before  the  back  door,  saying,  "The  earth 
opened  and  swallowed  her  up."  The  covering  of  one  of 
the  pits  had  given  way,  and  she  had  fallen  perhaps  twenty 
feet  below  the  surface.  Fortunately,  as  in  the  case  of 
Joseph,  there  was  no  water  in  the  pit,  and  in  a  few  days 
she  was  able  to  resume  her  place  in  school,  but  much  more 
gentle  and  subdued  than  ever  before.  The  change  was 
marked  by  all.  Months  after,  in  a  private  interview  with 
her  teacher,  she  gave  an  account  of  the  whole  matter.  She 
said  the  girls  went  out,  most  of  them  saying,  "We  will 
obey  our  teachers;"  but  she, stamping  her  foot, said,  "I  did 
right  before,  and  I  shall' do  so  again."  With  these  words 
on  her  lips,  she  sunk  into  the  earth.  At  first  she  did  not 
know  what  had  happened,  but  remembered  all  that  had 
been  said,  and  felt  that  God  was  dealing  with  her.  Lying 
there  helpless  and  bruised  at  the  bottom  of  the  pit,  she 
made  a  solemn  vow  to  God,  "Never  again  my  will." 
From  that  time  she  was  a  most  lovely  example  of  all  that 
was  gentle.  She  seemed  to  give  up  every  thing,  and  "bear 
all  things."  Her  fiither  saw  the  change,  and  one  day  said 
to  her  teachers,  "  I  am  not  a  Christian ;  but  Hannah  knows 
nothing  but  God's  will.  If  she  should  die  now,  I  should 
know  she  was  with  Christ,  she  is  so  like  him."  Her  Chris- 
tian character  developed  beautifully ;  the  school  learned  of 
her  to  be  Christ-like.  She  longed  to  do  good,  and  Avas 
ready  to  make  any  sacrifice  for  the  good  of  souls.  When 
Badal  sought  her  hand  from  her  father,  the  latter  called  her, 


LABORERS   IN   THE   MOUNTAINS.  209 

and  said,  "  Hannah,  Badal  the  son  of  the  herdsman,  wants 

you  to  go  to  the  mountains  with  him,  and wants  you 

to  live  here  with  him.  It  shall  be  as  you  say."  She  re- 
plied very  meekly,  "  I  wish  to  suffer  with  the  people  of 
God.  I  choose  to  go  with  Badal;"  and  June  8th,  1858,  she 
left  for  her  mountain  home. 

The  parting  prayer  meeting  with  those  four  girls,  going 
as  missionaries  to  the  mountains,  was  one  of  the  pleasantest 
memories  that  Miss  Fiske  carried  away  from  Oroomiah. 
She  left  soon  after,  but  often  heard  from  Hannah  and  her 
companions  that  she  was  happy  in  her  life  of  privation  for 
Jesus'  sake,  and  did  what  she  could.  She  suffered,  however, 
from  the  change,  and  was  advised  to  visit  Oroomiah  for  her 
health.  It  was  hoped  she  might  soon  recover ;  but  she 
went  only  to  leave  her  sweet  testimony  to  the  blessedness 
of  knowing  no  will  but  God's,  and  then  go  home.  She 
sent  the  following  messages  to  Miss  Fiske  from  her  dying- 
bed  :  "I  love  to  have  God  do  just  as  he  pleases.  I  thank 
you  for  all  your  love,  and  especially  for  showing  me  my 
Saviour."     She  died  in  December,  1860. 

Having  given  herself  to  Missionary  work  among  the 
mountains,  it  is  interesting  to  know  that  her  little  property 
also  went  to  the  same  object.  In  the  remarkable  revival 
of  benevolence,  in  Oroomiah,  in  the  spring  of  1861,  her 
brother  gave  her  inheritance,  which  had  fallen  to  him,  to 
sustain  laborers  in  the  mountains  :  thus,  after  her  life  had 
been  laid  down  in  the  work,  all  her  living  went  to  carry 
it  on. 

Let  Guly  introduce  herself  to  the  reader  by  giving  her 
own  account  of  her  conversion,  in  1856  :  — 

My  dear  Superintendent,  Miss  Fiske  :  I  wish  now, 
as  far  as  I  can,  to  describe  to  you  my  spiritual  state.     The 
18* 


210  WOMAN    AND    HER    SAVIOUR. 

first  four  weeks  of  the  revival  I  did  not  realize  that  I  was 
lost,  but  afterwards  was  more  burdened;  my  sins  were 
round  about  me  like  dark  clouds.  One  night  I  went  to 
Miss  Rice  to  have  her  pray  with  me.  I  did  not  know  how 
to  find  Christ.  She  told  me  ;  yet  all  that  night  I  saw  no 
light,  but  only  darkness.  I  was  almost  in  despair,  yet  felt 
that  this  was  from  Satan.  In  the  morning  the  sun  rose 
pleasantly,  but  it  was  as  night  to  me  ;  for  I  knew  that  I 
had  no  portion  in  God.  So  I  continued  all  that  day.  I 
could  not  read  in  my  class,  but  went  to  my  room,  and 
vowed  not  to  leave  it  till  I  had  some  token  that  Christ 
was  mine.  I  brought  nothing  in  my  hands  save  my  sins, 
which  were  like  mountains.  I  remembered  that  scripture, 
"  Though  your  sins  be  as  scarlet,  they  shall  be  as  white  as 
snow;"  and  I  recalled  the  promises  of  God,  and  that  no 
other  could  pardon  me.  With  earnest  longing,  I  laid  my 
soul  into  the  hands  of  Jesus.  I  heartily  covenanted  to 
serve  him  all  my  life,  and  sought  help  from  him  in  prayer. 
Then  suddenly  I  saw  light,  as  if  he  were  at  my  side;  and  I 
did  not  wish  to  rise  from  my  knees,  so  blessed  was  that 
communion.  From  that  time  I  had  hope,  but  sometimes 
fear  I  may  be  deceived.  Yet  daily  I  find  Christ  more  and 
more  precious.  Though  old  Adam  is  not  dead,  yet  in  the 
strength  of  God  I  will  resist  him. 

Yes,  my  dear  mother  in  Christ,  my  guide  to  the  cross, 
my  desire  is  to  please  God,  and  live  for  him,  not  for  myself. 
I  cannot  say  that  I  shall  never  sin,  for  I  am  weak,  and  my 
foe  is  strong;  but  I  will  seek  help  from  Him  who  was 
tempted,  and  can  succor  me  when  tempted. 

I  am  most  thankful  to  you  that  you  have  been  the 
means  of  my  salvation,  and  can  never  forget  your  love  till 
my  tongue  is  silent  in  the  grave. 

Your  affectionate  Guly,  of  Seir, 


LABORERS   IN   THE   MOUNTAINS.  211 

She  and  her  husband,  Yohanan,  have  labored  in  the 
mountains  ever  since  their  marriage.  He  writes  to  Miss 
Fiske  in  February,  1861, — 

"I  have  not  forgotten  your  pleasant  love,  and  trust  I 
never  shall  until  I  die.  I  hope  that,  with  all  your  friends 
here,  I  shall  see  you  again.  As  our  joy  is  not  full  in  your 
absence,  may  you  not  rest  till  you  return. 

"  We  are  now  in  Vizierawa  of  Gawar ;  for  the  people 
of  Ishtazin,  instigated  by  Mar  Shimon,  have  cast  us  out.  I 
had  hoped  to  go  to  Amadia,  but  was  robbed  and  wounded, 
in  the  autumn,  by  the  Koords ;  and  before  I  could  recover 
'my  goods,  it  was  too  late  to  go  so  far.  So  I  remain  here ; 
and,  thanks  to  God,  our  labor  in  the  gospel  is  more  pleasant 
than  ever.  Some  of  the  men  wish  to  hear  the  whole  will 
of  God ;  and  women  and  gilds  come  to  Guly  to  hear  his 
words.  A  few  children  also  are  constant  in  learning  to 
read.  The  work  of  God  prospers  this  year  in  Gawar,  and 
the  laborers  are  more  numerous  and  more  faithful." 

In  estimating  the  zeal  and  self-denial  of  these  ISTcstorian 
missionaries,  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  our  missiona- 
ries there,  think  it  requires  as  much  self-denial  for  a  native 
of  Oroomiah  to  go  to  the  mountains,  as  for  an  American  to 
go  to  Oroomiah ;  and  according  to  the  testimony  of  a  na- 
tive observer,  the  married  graduates  of  the  Seminary,  in 
the  mountains,  are  centres  of  light  in  that  great  sea  of 
darkness. 

Besides  those  already  mentioned,  Oshana  and  Sarah, 
with  Shlemon  and  Eneza,  are  laboring  in  Amadia.  This 
Sarah  is  daughter  of  Priest  Abraham,  of  Geog  Tapa,  and 
was  one  of  the  earliest  pupils  of  the  Seminary.  When 
Deacon  Isaac  broke  it  up,  in  1844,  she  was  the  only  pupil 
who  remained.  She  was  hopefully  converted  in  1846,  and 
while  in  the  Seminary  was  supported  by  the  Sabbath  school 
in  Owego,  New  York. 


212  WOMAN   AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 

In  1849,  it  was  proposed  that  her  father  labor  in  Ar- 
dishai,  one  of  the  darkest  and  most  wicked  villages  of  the 
plain,  as  one  might  expect  the  home  of  the  notorious  Mai- 
Gabriel  would  be.  Great  opposition  was  made  by  the 
people  to  his  coming  among  them;  and  his  own  wife  — 
not  then  converted — did  much  to  hinder  his  going;  but 
Sarah  did  all  in  her  power  to  encourage  him  ;  and  a  letter 
of  hers  on  the  subject  decided  him  to  go.  She  rejoiced  to 
give  up  her  friends,  her  pleasant  home,  and  even  her  privi- 
leges, that  he  might  labor  in  that  unpromising  field.  Nor 
was  she  by  any  means  idle.  She  spent  all  her  vacations 
there,  laboring  with  much  acceptance  and  success ;  and 
after  she  graduated,  in  1850,  besides  her  day  school 
through  the  week,  she  had  a  Bible  class  on  the  Sabbath, 
with  the  women ;  and  on  Friday,  also,  she  sent  out  her 
pupils,  in  the  afternoon,  to  invite  their  mothers  and  other 
women  to  a  meeting  she  held  with  them  in  the  evening. 
She  thus  acquired  great  influence,  and  led  several  to  the 
Saviour.  Her  labors  were  very  systematic.  She  had  a 
plan  for  conversing  personally  with  one  pupil  each  day, 
and  was  noted  for  her  tact  and  success  in  efforts  with  in- 
dividuals. Others  might  act  from  impulse,  and  soon  tire ; 
but  hers  is  an  activity  controlled  by  principle,  and  there- 
fore uniform  and  enduring.  Very  faithful  in  admonition 
when  admonition  is  required,  she  is  at  the  same  time 
noted  for  gentleness,  and  thus  expresses  to  Miss  Fiske  her 
delight  in  laboring  for  Christ :  "  Separated  from  Christian 
friends,  I  am  sometimes  sad ;  but  I  am  not  greater  than  my 
Master,  who  left  the  holy  society  of  heaven  to  come  to 
earth,  and  I  am  glad  for  a  corner  where  I  may  labor  for 
such  a  Master.  Come  and  spend  a  Sabbath  here  if  you 
can  ;  if  not,  pray  much  and  often  for  these  poor  women." 
Again  speaking  of  her  school,  she  says,  "  It  is  the  good- 


LABORERS   IN   THE   MOUNTAINS.  213 

ness  of  God  that  gives  me  these  little  girls.  Pray  for 
them.  I  see  indications  that  they  will  be  lovers  of  the 
Lord.  Forty  or  fifty  of  the  women  come  to  meeting,  and 
twenty-two  are  willing  to  receive  the  truth."  She  was  ac- 
customed to  study  the  Bible  with  her  father,  and  in  that 
way  also  aided  him  in  his  labors. 

But  it  is  time  to  bring  forward  her  husband,  in  letters 
which  open  up  a  new  department  of  usefulness,  and  illus- 
trate the  meaning  of  Mar  Yohanan,  when  he  brought  her 
first  pupils  to  Miss  Fiske,  and  said,  "No  man  take  them 
from  you."  The  truth  was,  that  the  same  parents,  who  at 
first  could  not  trust  their  daughters  in  the  Seminary  for  a 
single  night,  were  now  unwilling  that  they  should  be 
united  to  a  husband  who  did  not  commend  himself  to  its 
teachers  as  a  suitable  companion  for  their  pupils.  But  let 
Oshana  speak :  — 

Honored  Lady,  Miss  Fiske  :  I  have  a  petition  to  lay 
before  your  zeal,  which  is  active  in  doing  good  to  all  poor 
insignificant  ones  like  me.  Dear  lady,  whose  love  is  like 
the  waters  of  the  Nile,  and  spreads  more  than  they ;  for  it 
reaches  the  sons  of  the  mountains  of  Kurdistan,  as  well  as 
those  of  the  plain.  I  am  venturing  to  trouble  you  more 
than  ever  before.  This  summer,  when  I  went  to  my  coun- 
try (Tehoma),  my  mother  and  uncles,  who  greatly  love 
me,  with  a  natural  love,  beset  me  to  marry  one  of  the 
daughters  of  my  country,  whomsoever  I  should  please  ; 
but  I  made  known  to  them  that  I  wished,  if  possible,  to 
take  one  of  the  pupils  of  your  school,  for  I  said  to  them, 
"  If  I  take  one  of  these  who  are  so  Avicked,  ignorant,  im- 
modest, and  disorderly,  they  will  embitter  my  life."  I 
entreated  of  them  not  to  put  this  yoke  of  iron  on  my  neck. 
They  listened  a  little  to  my  petition,  from  the  mercy  of 


21-t  WOMAN    AND    HER    SAVIOUR. 

God,  but  made  me  promise  that  if  it  should  reach  my 
hand,  I  would  marry  this  winter.  The  girl  on  whom  I 
have  placed  my  eye,  to  take  her,  }s  Sarah ;  because  she  has 
the  "  fear  of  God,  which  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom,"  and 
she  has  been  brought  up  in  all  the  graces  of  Christianity, 
and  has  well  learned  the  holy  doctrines ;  and  in  the  fear 
of  God,  and  the  knowledge  she  has  acquired,  she  can  help 
me,  and  strengthen  me,  in  the  work  of  God,  on  which  I 
have  placed  my  heart  for  life. 

And  now,  to  whom  shall  I  look  to  help  me  in  this 
matter?  I  will  look  to  God,  the  Lord  of  heaven  and 
earth.  But  he  works  by  instruments.  Then  to  whom 
shall  I  look,  as  the  instrument  to  do  this  work  ?  I  am  a 
stranger,  poor,  and  without  a  name  here.  My  relatives 
are  far  away.  If  I  have  friends  in  Oroomiah,  they  cannot 
do  this  kindness  for  me.  If  I  remain  silent,  silence  alone 
shall  I  see.  Now,  my  lady,  I  look  to  you  for  help ;  and 
with  confidence  shall  I  do  so  more  than  I  should  to  iny 
parents ;  for  you  have  guided  me  and  my  sister  better  than 
any  Nestorians  have  guided  their  children.  Yes,  by  your 
hand  God  will  supply  my  need.  Now  do  as  you  think 
proper.  From  your  unworthy 

Oshana. 

P.  S.  The  other  letter  (enclosed)  is  for  Sarah,  and  on 
this  subject. 

Some  time  after  he  was  engaged  to  her,  she  was  very 
sick,  when  he  wrote  as  follows ;  and  the  reader  will 
notice  that  the  "honored  lady"  gives  place  to 

Dear  Mother,  and  Nourisher  of  Sarah  :  I  have  no 
friend  in  whose  pleasant,  pure  love  I  can  delight  as  in 
Sarah,  and  she  is  now  wasting  away  on  a  bed  of  sickness. 


LABORERS   IN   THE   MOUNTAINS.  215 

My  heart  is  very  heavy  with  sorrow  on  her  account.  Yes, 
I  am  so  borne  clown  with  trouble,  that  for  three  clays  my 
tears  have  not  been  stayed.  I  do  not  say  this  to  boast  of 
my  love.  I  owe  her  all  this.  I  have  a  petition  to  make ; 
which  is,  that  you  will  do  all  you  can  for  Sarah.  But  I 
need  not  ask  this,  for  I  am  confident  that  your  kindness 
will  lead  you  to  do,  and  cause  to  be  done,  all  that  can  be 
clone  for  her.  But  will  you  not  let  me  know  whether  her 
sickness  increases  or  diminishes?  —  if.  it  increases,  that  my 
sighs  and  tears  may  increase  in  pleading  before  the  Lord 
for  mercy,  and  if  it  diminishes,  that  my  thanksgivings  may 
increase  before  our  merciful  Father  in  heaven. 

Dear  mother,  if  it  is  the  will  of  our  Father  in  heaven  to 
take  Sarah  to  the  upper  mansions, — though  I  shall  be  com- 
forted on  account  of  her  being  saved  from  all  the  bitter 
misery  of  this  world,  and  her  blessed  rest  with  the  Saviour, 
where  she  can  praise  his  love  with  her  pleasant  voice, 
joined  with  the  sweet  songs  of  angels,  —  still  it  will  be  hard 
for  me.  If  I  live  after  she  has  gone,  God  forbid  that  I  be- 
hold her  dust,  and  not  long  to  be  her  companion  in  heaven. 
Your  unworthy 

Oshana. 

Our  next  letter  is  from  Sarah  to  Miss  Fiske,  written  at 
Seir,  in  1859,  more  than  two  years  after  her  marriage,  and 
gives  a  good  idea  of  her  Christian  spirit :  — 

Beloved  :  The  good  news  that  you  gave  us  of  the 
revivals  in  your  country,  rouses  our  hearts  to  warmer  zeal. 
Shall  we  not  also  prepai*e  the  way  of  the  Lord  ?  We 
know,  by  the  gracious  visits  of  God  here  this  winter,  that 
Christians  there  are  ever  praying  for  our  poor  people.  For 
we  hear  from  the  preachers  who  come  up  to  the  concert 


218  WOMAN  AND  HER  SAVIOUR. 

every  month,  that  the  work  of  the  Lord  goes  forward  in 
the  villages  of  the  plain,  and  also  in  the  mountains. 

Here  in  Seir,  the  good  work  began  among  the  women. 
I  hear  them  say,  "Though  we  have  had  revivals  before,  we 
have  never  seen  a  year  like  this,  when  the  words  of  God 
had  such  deep  effect."  Mrs.  Cochran  and  I  have  good 
meetings  with  these  women.  Our  congregations  make 
glad  the  Christian  heart,  and  I  am  particularly  happy  in 
laboring  for  them,  one  by  one.  A  portion  of  them,  with 
tearful  eyes,  are  covenanting  to  be  the  Lord's.  We  ask 
the  Lord  to  strengthen  them  in  their  covenant,  and  we 
entreat  of  you  and  of  your  friends  to  pray  for  them. 

Our  Sabbath  schools  are  very  pleasant.  Mr.  Cochran 
will  tell  you  how  the  work  goes  forward.  Mrs.  Cochran 
has  a  class  of  women,  and  so  have  I.  Last  Sabbath  Mr. 
Cochran  read  one  of  your  letters  to  the  congregation,  and 
we  learned  from  it  how  the  work  of  the  Lord  goes  forward 
in  your  blessed  churches.  We  praised  the  Lord,  and  then 
we  entreated  him  to  bless  our  churches,  and  make  them 
more  spiritual,  for  we  are  confident  that  his  grace  is  suffi- 
cient for  us  all. 

She  visited  Tehoma,  in  May,  two  months  after  the  date 
of  the  preceding,  with  her  husband,  Oshana,  and  two  little 
children,  and  gives  the  following  account  of  their  jour- 
ney:— 

"Through  the  favor  of  our  heavenly  Father,  I  have 
made  a  journey  into  these  mountains,  rejoicing  in  the  op- 
portunity to  labor  for  my  people.  I  am  very  happy  that 
my  father  and  friends  brought  me  on  my  way  in  willing- 
ness of  soul.  From  the  day  that  I  left  my  own  country, 
in  every  place  that  I  have  entered,  until  now,  my  heart  has 
been  excited  to  praise  my  Guide  and  my  Deliverer,  and  I 


LARORERS   IN   THE   MOUNTAINS.  217 

have  also  been  grateful  to  my  teachers  who  brought  me  to 
labor  in  a  desolate  vineyard,  joyfully,  I,  who  am  so  weak, 
and  such  a  great  sinner.  In  all  the  various  circumstances 
in  which  I  have  been,  your  counsels  have  been  of  great 
benefit  to  me. 

"  I  think  you  will  be  glad  to  know  that  the  gospel  door  is 
wide  open  here.  You  and  your  friends  will  pray  that 
the  Lord  of  the  harvest  would  send  forth  laborers  into  his 
harvest. 

"  We  left  the  city  of  Oroomiah,  May  6th.  We  were  ten 
souls  —  Hormezd,  of  Aliawa,  Sagoo,  of  Geog  Tapa,  Matlub, 
the  Tehomian,  Guli,  and  little  Gozel,  Oshana  and  his 
brother,  our  two  little  girls,  and  myself.  May  8th,  we 
reached  Memikan,  and  remained  there  three  clays. 

"It  was  our  first  Sabbath  in  the  mountains.  I  met  that 
company  of  women  for  whom  our  departed  Mrs.  Rhea 
used  to  labor.  May  12th,  we  left  Memikan,  and  went  up  to 
the  tops  of  the  snowy  mountains  of  Gawar.  The  cold  was 
such  that  we  were  obliged  to  wrap  our  faces  and  our  hands 
as  we  would  in  January.  As  we  descended  the  mountain, 
we  found  it  about  as  warm  as  February.  That  night  we 
staid  in  the  deep  valley  of  Ishtazin,  in  the  village  of 
Boobawa,  where  Yohanan  ami  Guli  dwell.  The  people 
here  are  very  wild  and  hard.  Yohanan  and  Guli  were  not 
here,  having  gone  to  visit  Khananis.  Only  a  few  came 
together  for  preaching.  The  people  said,  'Yohanan 
preaches,  and  we  revile.'  May  13th,  we  left  Boobawa,  and 
soon  crossed  the  river.  Men  had  gone  before  us,  and  were 
lying  in  wait  there.  They  stripped  us,  but  afterwards,  of 
themselves,  became  sorry,  and  returned  our  things.  As  we 
were  going  along  this  wonderful,  fearful  river,  and  beheld 
the  mountains  on  either  side  covered  with  beautiful  forests, 
we  remembered  Mr.  Rhea,  the  composer  of  the  hymn, 
19 


218  WOMAN    AND    HER    SAVIOUR. 

'  Valley  of  Ishtazin.'  And  when  filled  with  wonder  at 
the  works  of  the  Great  Creator,  we  all,  with  one  voice, 
praised  him  in  songs  of  joy  fitting  for  the  mountains. 
Here  the  brethren  reminded  me  that  our  dear  Miss  Fiske 
had  trodden  these  fearful  precipices.  This  greatly  encour- 
aged me  in  my  journey.  This  day  we  went  into  many 
villages,  and  over  many  ascents  and  descents.  At  evening 
we  reached  Jeloo,  and  remained  over  night  in  the  pleasant 
village  of  Zeer,  which  lies  in  a  valley  made  beautiful  by 
forests,  and  a  river  jjassing  through  it.  They  showed  great 
hospitality  here,  and  were  erTger  to  receive  the  word  of  the 
Lord.  May  14th,  we  left  Zeer,  and  went  to  Bass.  It  was 
Saturday  night,  and  we  remained  over  the  Sabbath  in  the 
village  of  Nerik.  I  shall  always  have  a  pleasant  remem- 
brance of  the  Sabbath  we  passed  there.  From  the  first 
moment  that  we  went  in  till  Monday  morning,  we  were 
never  alone,  so  many  were  assembling  to  hear  the  words 
of  the  Lord.  With  tearful  eyes  and  burning  hearts,  they 
were  inquiring  for  the  way  of  salvation.  They  would  say, 
'  What  shall  we  do  ?  We  have  no  one  to  sit  among  us,  to 
teach  us,  poor,  wretched  ones.'  Truly,  a  man's  heart  burns 
within  him  as  he  sees  this  poor  people  scattered  as  sheep 
without  a  shepherd.  May  16th,  we  mounted  our  mules,  and 
went  on  our  way.  Half  an. hour  from  Nerik  we  came  to 
the  village  of  Urwintoos.  An  honorable,  kind-hearted 
woman  came  out,  and  made  us  her  guests.  This  was 
Oshana's  aunt.  As  soon  as  we  sat  down,  the  house  was 
filled  with  men  and  women.  They  brought  a  Testament 
themselves,  and  entreated  us  to  read  from  that  holy  book. 
Did  not  my  heart  rejoice  when  I  saw  how  eagerly  they 
were  listening  to  the  account  of  the  death  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ!  When  the  men  went  out,  the  women  came 
very  near  to  me,   entreating  for  the  word  of  the  Lord,  as 


LABORERS   IN    THE   MOUNTAINS.  219 

those  thirsting  for  water.  Then  I  read  to  them  from,  the 
book. 

"  There  are  many  sad  deeds  of  wickedness  among  these 
mountain  Nestorians ;  and  when  Christians  hear  how  anx- 
ious they  are  to  receive  the  words  of  life,  will  they  not  feel 
for  them  ?  We  reached  Tehoma  May  17th.  Now,  from 
the  mercy  of  God,  we  are  all  well  and  in  the  village  of  Maz- 
rayee.  I  am  not  able  to  labor  for  the  women  here,  as  I  de- 
sired, because  many  of  them  have  gone  to  the  sheep-folds. 
It  is  so  hot  we  cannot  remain  here,  and  we  will  go  there 
also,  soon.  I  trust,  wherever  I  am,  and  as  long  as  I  am 
here,  I  shall  labor  for  that  Master  who  wearied  himself  for 
me,  and  who  bought  these  souls  with  his  blood. 

"  The  Lord  keep  and  bless  you,  our  beloved,  who  have 
been  a  mother  to  the  Nestorian  girls,  all  of  whom,  with 
longing  hearts  are  expecting  your  return.  We  contin- 
ually pray  Him  who  gave  you  to  us,  to  restore  you  again 
in  mercy  to  our  people.  If  counted  worthy,  I  should 
greatly  rejoice  to  receive  a  little  note  from  you." 

She  returned  to  Oroomiah  in  the  spring  of  1860,  and  left 
again  in  1861  for  Amadia.  When  she  went  away,  her 
three  children  had  the  whooping  cough  ;  so  she  would  not  go 
into  any  of  the  mission  families  lest  she  should  spread  the 
disease  among  the  children ;  but  after  she  was  all  ready  to 
go,  and  the  heads  of  her  own  little  flock  were  peeping  out 
of  the  saddle-bag  contrivance  in  which  they  rode,  Mrs. 
Breath  went  out  to  bid  her  good  by.  Sarah  told  her  how 
Miss  Fiske  had  said,  when  she  took  her  oldest  child  into  her 
arms  for  the  first  time,  " '  Now,  Sarah,  you  will  not  seek  for 
this  child  a  pleasant  home  upon  the  plain,  as  Lot  did,  but 
rather  to  do  God's  will,  and  then  he  will  give  you  all 
things.'  I  have  always  remembered  it,"  she  added,  "  and 
am  not  willing  now  to  be  found  seeking  my  pleasure  here. 


220  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

During  the  long  winter  of  1861-62,  no  messenger  could 
cross  the  mountains  from  Oroomiah  to  Amadia;  and  she 
thus  writes  in  March,  1862,  to  Miss  Rice: — 

"  I  did  greatly  long  for  the  coming  of  the  messenger. 
"We  were  very  sad  in  not  hearing  a  single  word  from  home. 
Now  I  offer  thanksgivings  to  Him  in  whose  hands  are  all 
things,  that  he  has  opened  a  door  of  mercy,  and  has  de- 
lighted us  by  the  arrival  of  letters.  They  came  to-day. 
Many  thanks  to  you  and  your  dear  pupils.  The  Lord  bless 
them,  and  prepare  their  hearts  for  such  a  blessed  work  as 
ours. 

"  Give  Eneza's  salutations  and  mine  to  all  the  school.  I 
think  they  will  wish  to  hear  about  the  work  of  the  Lord 
here.  Thanks  to  God,  our  health  has  been  good  ever  since 
we  came,  and  our  hearts  have  been  contented  snd  happy  in 
seeing  some  of  our  neighbors  believing,  and  with  joy  re- 
ceiving the  words  of  life.  Every  Sabbath  we  have  a  con- 
gregation of  thirty-five,  and  more  men  than  women.  For 
many  weeks  only  the  men  came ;  but  now,  by  the  grace  of 
God,  the  women  come  too,  and  their  number  is  increasing. 
I  have  commenced  to  teach  them  the  life  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
from  the  beginning.  I  have  strong  hopes  that  God  is 
awakening  one  of  them.  His  word  is  very  dear  to  her. 
Her  son  is  the  priest  of  the  village,  and  a  sincere  Christian. 
Four  other  young  men  and  five  women  are,  we  trust,  not 
far  from  the  door  of  the  kingdom.  We  entreat  you,  dear 
sisters,  to  pray  in  a  special  manner  for  these  thoughtful 
ones,  that  they  may  enter  the  narrow  door  of  life. 

"From  the  villages  about  us  we  have  a  good  report. 
They  receive  the  gospel  from  Oshana  and  Shlemon,  who 
visit  them  every  Sabbath.  In  my  journeys  through  those 
mountains,  I  have  seen  various  assemblies  of  men  and  wo- 
men listening  to  the  gospel,  poor  ones,  exclaiming  '  What 


LABORERS  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS.  221 

shall  we  do  ?  Our  priests  have  deceived  us :  we  are  lost, 
like  sheej)  on  the  mountains.  There  is  no  one  to  teach  us.' 
They  sit  in  misery  and  ignorance.  They  need  our  prayers 
and  our  help.  I  verily  believe  that  if  we  labor  faithfully  — 
God  help  us  to  labor  thus  —  we  shall  soon  see  our  church 
revived,  built  up  on  the  foundation  Christ  Jesus,  and 
adorned  for  him  as  a  bride  for  her  husband.  With  tears 
of  joy  we  shall  gaze  on  these  ancient  ruins  becoming  new 
temples  of  the  Lord.  Soon  shall  these  mountains  witness 
scenes  that  will  rejoice  angels  and  saints.  Those  will  be 
blessed  times.  Let  us  pray  for  them,  and  labor  with  Christ 
for  their  coming." 

Our  latest  news  from  Sarah  is,  that  during  the  summer 
of  1862,  her  little  son  had  died,  and  she  herself  was  just 
recovering  from  a  dangerous  fever. 

The  joyful  anticipations  awakened  by  such  a  letter  from 
a  graduate  of  the  Seminary,  in  ancient  Amadia,  are  not 
diminished  by  accounts  received  of  a  conference  of  "Moun- 
tain helpers,"  held  in  Gawar,  from  May  30th  to  June  2d,  1862. 
They  came  from  Gawar,  Jeloo,  Tehoma  and  Amadia.  At 
the  opening  of  each  session,  half  an  hour  was  spent  in 
prayer ;  then  carefully  jDrepared  essays  were  read  on  subjects 
previously  assigned,  and  each  topic  was  afterwards  thor- 
oughly discussed.  The  first  subject  was,  "  Hinderances  to 
evangelization  in  the  mountains,  —  such  as  their  ruggedness, 
deep  snows,  superstition  of  the  people,  and  ]:>ersecution." 
Deacon  Tamo,  in  speaking,  admitted  all  these,  but  said, 
"  For  rough  roads  we  have  our  feet  and  goats'  hair  sandals  ; 
for  deep  snows,  snow  shoes ;  for  the  darkness  and  supersti- 
tion of  the  people,  we  have  the  light  of  the  truth  and  the 
sword  of  the  Spirit ;  and  for  persecution,  we  have  God's 
promise  of  protection  and  the  firman  of  the  sultan." 
"  The  faithful  pastor's  duty  to  his  flock,"  and  "  Means  of 
19* 


222  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

securing  laborers  for  the  field,"  were  among  the  topies 
discussed.  Their  discussions  on  the  subject  of  benevolence 
showed  that  they  regarded  that  duty  as  binding  as  any 
other.  They  engaged  to  observe  the  monthly  concert, 
and  take  up  monthly  and  also  annual  collections  in  their 
congregations,  and  apply  the  proceeds  to  the  support 
of  a  laborer  in  the  mountains.  On  Sabbath  evening  the 
monthly  concert  was  observed,  and  after  stirring  addresses, 
the  contribution  amounted  to  what  was  for  them  the  very 
large  sum  of  fifty-two  dollars.  Among  the  offerings  were 
a  horse,  an  ox,  a  sheep,  a  goat,  and  different  articles  of 
jewelry.  Arrangements  were  made  at  the  conference  for 
the  formation  of  a  Protestant  community  in  Gawar,  in 
accordance  with  the  firman  of  the  sultan.  In  all  respects 
the  meeting  was  a  rich  spiritual  festival,  and  from  the 
spirit  its  members  manifested,  and  the  progress  already 
made,  we  may  hope  for  extensive  and  important  results 
before  many  years  have  passed  away. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

EBENEZERS. 

EXAMINATION    IN    1850.  —  COLLATION    AND    ADDRESS.  —  VALEDICTORY  BY 

SANUM. SABBATH     SCHOOL    IN    GEOG     TAPA. —  EXAMINATION     THERE 

IN     1854.- — PRAYER   MEETING    AND    COMMUNION    AT    OROOMIAH,    MAY, 

1858.  —  SELBY,  OF    GAVALAN,  AND   LETTER. LETTER    FROM    HATOON, 

OF    GEOG    TAPA. 

There  are  occasions,  interesting  in  themselves,  that  also 
serve  to  mark  the  progress  which  they  promote.  Such  an 
occasion  was  the  examination  of  the  Seminary,  June  6th, 
1850.  There  have  been  examinations  since,  but  none  so 
marked  in  their  influence  for  good  ;  none  where  the  teach- 
ers felt  so  much  like  calling  the  name  of  it  "Ebenezer," 
and  saying,  "  Hitherto  hath  the  Lord  helped  us." 

The  pupils  had  improved,  during  the  last  weeks  of  the 
term,  more  than  they  had  ever  done  in  twice  the  same 
length  of  time,  both  spiritually  and  mentally.  At  the 
close  of  the  term,  their  parents  and  friends,  with  some  of 
the  leading  Nestorians,  were  invited  to  the  examination. 
More  than  one  hundred  and  sixty  spectators,  besides  the 
pupils,  were  crowded  into  the  large  recitation  room.  This 
had  been  adorned  with  a  profusion  of  roses,  from  the  vine- 
yard of  Mar  Yohanan,  arranged  in  wreaths  and  bouquets, 
with  festoons  of  sycamore  leaves,  and  other  devices.  The 
people  were  delighted,  —  for,  like  other  Persians,  they  are 
great  admirers  of  flowers, — and  many,  on  entering,  involun- 

(223) 


224  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

tarily  exclaimed,  " Paradise  !  Paradise!"  In  their  various 
studies,  the  attainments  of  the  pupils  would  have  reflected 
honor  on  a  seminary  in  our  own  land ;  but  their  knowl- 
edge of  Scripture  exceeded  all  besides.  Even  on  the 
details  of  the  Tabernacle  they  rarely  faltered ;  and  their 
compositions  showed  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  Bible 
facts  and  doctrines. 

Dr.  Perkins  delivered  an  address,  comparing  the  early 
days  of  the  mission .  with  that  scene,  and  felicitously  an- 
swering various  objections  that  had  been  raised  against 
female  education ;  and,  at  the  close,  diplomas  were  given 
to  three  of  the  oldest  pupils. 

The  exercises  were  pleasantly  diversified  by  a  plentiful 
collation  under  the  arbor  in  the  court  behind  the  Sem- 
inary, where  lambs  roasted  whole,  in  the  native  style, 
lettuce,  cherries,  pilav  (a  preparation  of  rice),  and  some 
cake,  prepared  by  the  pupils,  were  duly  discussed.  Many 
of  the  women  had  never  before  sat  at  the  same  table  with 
men,  and  it  was  amusing  to  witness  their  awkward  embar- 
rassment. Some  snatched  the  food  from  the  table  by 
stealth,  and  ate  it  behind  their  large  veils,  as  though  it 
were  a  thing  forbidden. 

Hormezd,  the  father  of  John,  now  aged  and  blind,  who 
had  been  led  all  the  way  from  Geog  Tapa,  said,  towards 
the  close  of  the  afternoon,  "I  wish  Joshua  were  here." 
"And  what  do  you  want  of  Joshua?"  "I  want  him  to 
command  the  sun  and  moon  to  stand  still,  for  the  day  is  al- 
together too  short."  As  the  company  dispersed,  several  old 
men  took  Miss  Fiske  and  Miss  Rice  by  the  hand,  saying, 
with  moistened  eyes,  "Will  you  forgive  us  that  we  have 
done  no  more  for  your  school  ?"  But  the  best  of  all  was, 
some  sixty  adult  women,  from  different  villages,  begging 
for  spelling  books,  that  they  might  commence  learning  to 


EBENEZERS.  225 

read.  Thirty  of  them  did  not  rest  till  they  could  read 
their  Bibles.  The  cause  of  female  education  never  lost 
the  impulse  that  it  received  that  day. 

Instead  of  the  valedictory  composed  for  this  anniversary, 
is  here  subjoined  the  greater  part  of  the  one  prepared  by 
Sanum,  for  a  like  occasion,  because  it  takes  a  wider  range, 
and  is  richer  in  its  historical  allusions  :  — 

"  Now  that  another  year  is  closed,  and  we  are  ready  to 
leave  each  other  in  peace,  it  is  fitting  to  review  the  past, 
that  together  we  may  praise  the  sweet  Keeper  of  Israel  for 
the  blessings  he  has  poured  upon  our  heads.  We  fear  to 
try  to  recount  them  all,  lest  we  tempt  the  Lord ;  so  we 
will  speak  of  but  a  few. 

"Let  us  renew  the  wings  of  our  loving  thoughts,  send 
them  to  the  years  that  are  past,  and  see  where  rests  the 
dust  of  some  of  the  dear  teachers  of  this  school.  Listen ! 
There  comes  a  voice,  '  They  are  not  to  be  found  among  the 
living.'  Yes,  the  place  of  one  is  empty  here,  and  of 
another  there.  Then,  where  are  they  ?  Thou,  O  country, 
art  a  witness  that  they  have  pressed  thy  soil ;  and  you,  ye 
blessed  winds,  answer  us,  'They  have  gone!'  and  ye 
green  leaves  of  time  are  true  witnesses  that  they  lie  among 
the  numbered  dead.  But  where  shall  we  find  them  ?  They 
lie  far  apart.  We  must  visit  one  that  first  laid  her  hand  on 
some  of  us  to  bless  us  [Mrs.  Grant] ;  and  though  we  re- 
member her  not,  she  often  embraced  us.  in  the  arms  of  love, 
and  carried  us  before  a  throne  of  grace.  She  was  one  of 
the  first  that  left  all  her  friends,  and  ploughed  the  mighty 
waves  of  ocean,  that  she  might  come  to  Oroomiah's  dark 
border.  Though  fierce  tempests  raged,  and  heavy. waves 
raised  themselves  above  the  ship,  her  prayers,  mingled 
with  love  for  us,  ascended  higher  still,  and  overcame  all. 
At  the  foot  of  Mount  Ararat  she  doubtless  remembered 


226  WOMAN   AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 

the  bow  of  promise ;  and  her  consolations  were  renewed, 
when  she  thought  of  it  as  a  prophecy,  that  a  company  of 
the  fallen  daughters  of  Chaldea  should  become  heirs  of 
glory.  She  so  labored,  that  her  influence  is  widening  from 
generation  to  generation. 

"The  Lord  is  rewarding  her  even  to  the  third  and 
fourth  generation.  But  though  she  engaged  in  her  work 
with  such  holy  zeal,  her  journey  was  short.  Some  of  us 
had  not  seen  our  eighth  summer  when  those  lips,  on  which 
were  written  wisdom,  were  still;  and  that  tongue,  on 
which  dwelt  the  law  of  kindness,  was  silent  in  death. 
Now  she  rests  in  our  churchyard.  She  sleeps  with  our 
dead,  and  her  dust  is  mingled  with  the  dust  of  our  fathers, 
till  that  day  when  she  shall  rise  to  glory,  and  a  company 
of  ransomed  Nestorians  with  her. 

"  But  where  is  that  other  dear  friend  of  our  school  [Dr. 
Grant],  who  Avas  the  beautiful  staff  of  her  support  ?  He 
encouraged  her  to  labor  for  us  while  many  of  us  were  yet 
unborn.  His  heart  was  large  enough  to  love  every  son 
and  daughter  of  our  people.  lie  sowed  with  many  tears, 
and  gave  himself  for  the  Nestorians.  Shall  Ave  not  belieAre 
that  the  fruits  of  his  labors  have  sprung  up  among  us? 
Then,  Avhere  is  he  ?  Let  us  go  silently,  silently,  and  ask 
that  ancient  city,  NineAreh.  It  will  direct  us,  '  Lo,  he  rests 
on  the  banks  of  the  noble  Tigris.'  Would  that  our  Avhis- 
per  might  reach  the  ear  of  the  Avild  Arab  and  cruel  Turk, 
that  they  walk  gently  by  that  stranger  grave,  and  tread 
not  on  its  dust.  Then,  shall  Ave  think  no  more  of  it? 
No ;  with  a  firm  hope  we  expect  that  those  mountains,  on 
Avhich  his  beautiful  feet  rested,  shall  ansAver  his  name  in 
echoes,  one  to  the  other ;  and  the  persons  who  saAv  his  faith- 
ful example  there  shall  mingle  in  the  flock  of  his  Saviour. 

"But  the  journey  of  our  thoughts  is  not  finished.     We 


EBENEZERS.  227 

must  leave  in  peace  this  blessed  grave,  and  go  search  for 
one  with  whom  we  were  well  acquainted  [Mrs.  Stoddard], 
and  whose  gentle,  loving  example  is  so  graven  on  the 
tablet  of  memory,  that  it  cannot  be  erased.  Can  we  for- 
get her  prayers  with  some  of  us  the  week  she  left  us  ?  or 
how,  when  she  took  our  hand  for  the  last  time,  she  said, 
'  The  blessing  of  the  Lord  rest  upon  you'  ?  We  did  not  then 
expect  that  our  eyes  would  no  more  rest  on  that  lovely 
face,  and  our  ears  no  more  hear  that  sweet  voice  in  our 
dwellings.  When  we  heard  of  her  departure  to  a  world 
of  light,  it  was  hard  to  believe  that  she  had  gone  and  left 
us  behind.  Lo,  on  the  shores  of  the  Black  Sea  she  has 
laid  her  down  to  rest.  O  ye  angry  waves,  be  still,  and  ye 
winds  of  God,  fan  gently  that  sacred  spot.  All  our  people 
are  indebted  to  thee,  thou  blessed  one.  Thou,  who  didst 
first  teach  us  to  sing  the  songs  of  Zion,  now  removed 
from  sin  and  sorrow,  thou  art  singing  with  the  myriads  of 
the  just.  We  would  not  call  thee  back,  but  rather  praise 
the  Lord  that  you  and  those  other  dear  friends  are  entered 
into  rest.  No,  ye  are  not  lost,  ye  spirits  made  holy;  but 
as  it  was  necessary  that  some  should  come  from  a  distant 
land  to  labor  here,  so  ye  were  necessary  to  do  a  greater 
work  in  heaven.  We  believe  that  ye  are  doing  there  more 
than  ye  could  have  done  here  ;  yea,  that  ye  form  a  part 
of  that  great  cloud  of  witnesses  that  encompass  us  to-day. 
It  is  delightful  to  us  to  think  that  ye  blessed  ones  guard 
us.  It  is  a  comfort  to  our  teachers  to  think  that  you,  who 
laid  these  foundations,  are  still  round  about  us.  Beloved 
ones,  we  would  not  call  you  back.  Cling  closely,  and  more 
closely,  to  your  Saviour,  till  we,  too,  through  free  grace, 
shall  share  in  your  glory. 

"And  now,  beloved  friends,  who  with  them  flew  on  the 
wings  of  the  gospel  across  the  ocean  to  tell  us  of  salva- 


228  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

tion,  we  rejoice  to-day  that  the  sharp  arrows  of  death  have 
not  touched  you.  Ye  have  been  more  than  fathers  and 
mothers  to  us.  Our  hearts  are  full  of  love  to  every  one 
of  you,  O  blessed  band!  but  we  cannot  express  it,  ex- 
cept with  a  heavenly  tongue.  When  darkness  reigned  in 
the  breast  of  every  son  of  the  Chaldeans,  and  no  whisper 
of  salvation  had  fallen  on  the  ear  of  their  daughters,  you 
opened  the  beauties  of  the  priceless  pearl  before  our  eyes, 
that  it  should  enlighten  us  with  heavenly  brightness.  We 
cannot  make  known  all  that  you  have  done  for  us.  Let  it 
remain  till  that  day  of  light  when  the  Lord  shall  com- 
mend you  before  his  chosen.  When  we  look  at  our  dear 
teachers,  our  hearts  warm  to  you  with  no  common  love, 
because  you  led  them  to  leave  the  sweet  place  of  their 
nativity  for  our  sakes.  You  have  been  parents  to  them, 
wiping  away  their  tears  with  the  soft  hand  of  a  mother, 
and  sharing  their  trials  with  a  father's  heart.  While  you 
have  helped  them  in  every  department  of  their  school,  the 
blessing  has  all  been  ours. 

"If  on  the  wings  of  an  eagle  we  should  fly  to  the 
extreme  north,  we  should  find  no  such  school  as  this, 
crowned  with  blessings,  but  should  see  our  sisters  groan- 
ing in  bitterness,  saying,  'Not  one  ray  from  the  divine 
sun  rises  on  us  in  our  misery.'  If  we  turn  to  the  south, 
there  we  see  the  daughters  of  Arabia  lamenting,  'In  all 
this  desert,  not  one  oasis  yields  the  waters  of  life  to 
quench  our  burning  thirst.'  Eternity  alone  will  suflace  to 
praise  Him  who  sent  you,  the  only  heralds  of  his  grace,  to 
us  sinners. 

"But  our  southern  journey  is  not  finished.  From  one 
end  of  Africa  to  the  other  our  sisters  lie  wrapped  in  the 
shadows  of  death  ;  and  if  we  turn  to  the  east,  all  the  way 
to  China,  the  daughters  cry,  'Wretched  is  our  unhappy 


EBENEZERS.  229 

lot :  no  cloud  of  mercy,  such  as  surrounds  you,  lights  up 
the  place  of  our  abode.  So  on  the  west,  as  far  as  Con- 
stantinople, our  companions  in  suffering  have  no  school  to 
sound  in  their  ears  the  blessed  name  of  Jesus. 

"  What  are  we,  that  the  Lord  should  choose  us  from  the 
midst  of  such  darkness,  and  send  you  to  us  with  the  mes- 
sage of  life  ?  Let  all  nations,  with  wondering  lips,  praise 
the  Almighty  for  his  grace  to  us,  so  worthless. 

"  Now  that  we  go  from  you,  we  leave  with  you  this  our 
handiwork  as  a  token  of  gratitude.  [A  specimen  of  needle- 
work now  among  the  curiosities  at  the  Missionary  House 
in  Boston.]  Receive  it,  though  a  trifle.  The  figures  on 
it  show  what  you  have  taught  us  in  our  pleasant  school. 
As  we  have  first  of  all  been  taught  to  sit  at  the  foot  of  the 
cross,  and  neither  hope  nor  glory  in  any  thing  else,  we  have 
made  that  the  foundation.  Under  the  cross  you  have  wa- 
tered us  with  the  showers  of  divine  instruction  and  prayers, 
that,  like  this  vine,  we  might  entwine  about  it  and  bear 
pleasant  fruit.  From  this  cross  we  learned,  while  yet 
in  the  bloom  of  life,  like  newly-opened  flowers,  to  join 
together  in  sweet  friendship.  Above  this  we  have  placed 
a  circle  around  the  Holy  Bible,  that  bright  lamp  of  the 
Lord,  that  will  enlighten  us  like  the  sun  if  we  follow  its 
leading  —  that  well  of  living  waters,  which  will  cause  us 
to  flourish  like  the  palm  tree.  Thus  will  our  leaf  be  ever 
green,  and  our  fruit  sweet  till  the  day  when  the  mystery  of 
love  shall  be  revealed,  and  we  dwell  in  the  mansions  of 
the  blest.  There,  joining  with  all  the  singers  in  heavenly 
places,  we  shall  receive  harps  and  sing  glory  to  our  heavenly 
King,  who  saved  us  from  everlasting  woe.  There  we  shall 
inherit  crowns  of  gold,  and,  with  myriads  of  the  saints, 
cast  them  down  before  the  Lamb.  If  but  one  of  us  reach 
that  place,  will  you  deem  your  labor  in  vain  ?  God,  who 
20 


230  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

rewards  even  the  gift  of  a  cup  of  cold  water,  will  never  for- 
get what  you  have  done  to  the  least  of  his  people,  and  if 
the  least  are  on  the  earth,  we  are  they.  Now  that  you 
send  us  forth  into  the  world,  remember  us,  we  beg  you, 
whenever  you  bring  your  sacrifice  before  the  Lord. 

"  Dear  teachers,  your  acts  of  kindness  have  been  more 
than  the  hairs  of  our  heads  ;  Ave  cannot  recount  them.  We 
can  only  ask  Him,  who  alone  is  rich,  to  reward  you  from  his 
good  treasures,  for  none  but  He  can  meet  our  obligations 
to  you.  Each  thought  that  reverts  to  the  past  demands  a 
tear  of  gratitude.  O  blessed  seasons,  when  God  sent  clown 
his  Holy  Spirit,  that  through  your  labors  these  walls  of  Je- 
rusalem, so  long  broken  down,  might  be  again  rebuilt.  It 
is  sweet  to  think  that  in  the  hand  of  Christ,  you  have  been 
the  means  of  the  salvation  of  our  souls,  which  are  to  live 
forever.  We  believe  that  your  prayers  and  tears  are  in 
the  golden  censer  before  the  throne.  Now  that  we  go  out 
from  under  your  wings  of  love,  which  cannot  reach  to  all 
your  scattered  flock,  we  entreat  you  to  ask  the  Good  Shep- 
herd to  lead  us  in  green  pastures  and  beside  the  still 
waters,  and  keep  us  under  his  wings  of  mercy  in  our 
weakness. 

[Her  address  to  the  native  teachers,  bishops,  &c,  is 
omitted.] 

"Dear  parents,  we  rejoice  exceedingly  to  see  you  here, 
looking  on  us  with  eyes  of  love.  No  words  can  express 
what  you  have  done  for  us,  especially  in  sending  us  here  to 
learn  of  Jesus.  We  trust  that  it  has  been,  or  shall  be,  a 
blessing  to  you  also.  It  is  our  hope  that  you  will  be 
willing  to  send  your  daughters  to  distant  places,  to  make 
known  eternal  life.  If  you  do,  great  will  be  your  reward 
from  the  Lord. 

"  And  now,  sweet  sisters,  another  year  have  we  sat  under 


EBENEZERS.  231 

our  own  vine  and  fig  tree  unmolested.  "We  have  tasted 
the  honey  and  milk  of  the  blessed  land,  and  drank  of  the 
waters  from  the  Rock.  But  now  the  time  has  come  to 
leave  these  bowers  of  knowledge,  but  not  the  lessons  here 
learned,  nor  the  counsels  of  our  teachers,  nor  the  sweet 
whispers  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

"  Dear  sisters,  let  us  bear  forth  with  us  the  light-giving 
countenance  of  the  Saviour,  which  will  scatter  all  the  evil 
around  us  as  the  light  dispels  the  darkness :  without  this 
we  cannot  go.  Though  separated  in  body,  let  us  be  united 
in  fervent  prayer.  Let  a  conscience  made  sensitive  by 
grace  be  our  abiding  companion.  Let  the  tent  of  Abra- 
ham teach  us  that  we  have  no  abiding  city  here ;  and  like 
him,  let  our  first  work  be  to  offer  those  prayers  to  God 
which  shall  testify  that  he  is  ours.  And  now,  before  going 
forth,  let  us  clothe  ourselves  with  the  meekness  and  gentle- 
ness of  Christ.  Yea,  let  us  take  with  us  all  his  virtues, 
being  obedient,  teaching  our  dying  associates,  and  leading 
them  one  and  all  to  Christ.  Though  we  part,  our  love  can 
never  be  sundered,  and  we  will  ask  the  Lord  to  send  his 
ministering  spirits  to  strengthen  our  faltering  steps,  and 
feed  our  souls  with  heavenly  manna,  so  that  if  we  never 
more  see  each  other  here,  Ave  may  meet  in  heaven  with  our 
sisters  who  have^gone  before." 

The  teachers  improved  the  interest  awakened  by  the 
examination  in  1850,  to  urge  their  older  pupils  to  labor  in 
the  village  Sabbath  schools ;  and  let  us  look  in  on  their  efforts 
in  Geog  Tapa.  The  children  there  were  divided  into  ten 
classes,  each  with  one  of  the  pupils  for  a  teacher.  Others 
taught  the  women  who  could  not  read.  Soon  these  were 
joined  by  both  old  and  young  men,  who  were  taught  by 
pupils  from  the  Seminary  at  Seir,  and  as  many  as  forty 
spelling  books  were  in  active  use.     The  children,  too,  were 


232  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

taught  to  sing.  Tims  they  labored  till  winter,  when  the 
school  was  put  in  charge  of  the  village  school  teachers. 
In  the  sirring  the  pupils  resumed  the  work  with  undimin- 
ished zeal.  ~Nor  did  they  toil  in  vain,  for  the  attendance 
increased  from  about  seventy  to  four  hundred;  and  some  of 
the  teachers  testified  that  they  spent  there  some  of  the 
most  delightful  Sabbaths  they  ever  knew.  Yonan,  who 
superintended  the  school  with  Moses,  had  also  a  class  of 
old  women,  that  increased  from  six  to  thirty-seven,  whom 
he  taught  from  the  book,  well  known  to  our  Sabbath  school 
children,  "Line  upon  Line."  His  own  account  of  it  is  very 
interesting.  He  says,  "  The  women,  especially  the  aged 
among  them,  have  a  habit,  when  they  meet,  of  engaging  in 
unprofitable  conversation,  and,  both  on  the  way  to  church 
and  in  it,  we  could  not  stop  it.  Awakening  sermons  pro- 
duced no  impression;  and  though  they  had  heard  preaching 
for  fifteen  years,  they  were  still  very  ignorant.  But  now 
what  I  teach  them  on  one  Sabbath  I  require  them  to  repeat 
the  next ;  and  so  they  are  obliged  to  leave  off  their  gossip, 
and  talk  over  what  they  have  heard,  that  they  may  not 
forget  it.  These  women  are  so  anxious  to  be  taught,  that 
if  I  am  hindered  a  little  longer  than  usual  in  arranging  the 
classes,  they  cry  out  after  me  in  the  church,  that  all  the 
other  classes  are  being  taught,  but  they  forsaken." 

A  class  of  old  men,  taught  by  Deacon  John,  commenced 
with  an  attendance  of  ten,  but  soon  numbered  forty.  For- 
merly they  went  to  market  on  the  Sabbath,  or  sat  sunning 
themselves  in  the  street,  going  to  hear  preaching  about  half 
the  time ;  but  they  became  so  interested  in  the  exercises, 
that  they  were  unwilling  they  should  close.  They  brought 
others  with  them,  and  if  one  of  them  was  kept  away  one 
Sabbath,  he  mourned  that  the  rest  had  got  so  far  before 
him. 


EBENEZERS.  233 

The  women  carried  their  books  with  them  when  they 
went  out  to  the  vineyards,  and  at  resting  time  :  while  othei-s 
slept,  they  read.  Some,  who  could  not  afford  oil  at  night, 
read  by  moonlight,  and  when  they  spun,  they  fastened  the 
book  open  on  a  shelf,  so  that  they  could  read  at  the  same 
time.  Once,  when  a  woman  was  asked  if  she  could  repeat 
her  lesson,  she  replied,  "  O,  yes  ;  I  repeated  it  over  just  now 
while  I  was  milking."  The  men  also  took  their  books  out 
to  the  fields,  that  they  might  improve  every  spare  moment, 
and  one  was  so  earnest  that,  when  Avaked  in  the  night  to 
attend  to  the  cattle,  he  read  till  morning ;  but  his  family, 
finding  that  he  burned  so  much  oil,  took  care  after  that 
to  let  him  sleep.  Good  old  Mar  Elias  rejoiced  to  see 
such  a  work  among  his  flock;  and  it  was  most  pleasant 
to  see  the  large  church  so  crowded  by  people,  seated  on  the 
floor,  that  one  could  hardly  walk  about  among  them. 

After  the  teachers  had  attended  to  their  classes  about  an 
hour  and  a  half,  the  younger  scholars  repeated  the  portion 
of  Scripture  they  had  learned  during  the  week,  and  the 
parents  were  much  pleased  to  hear  their  children  recite. 

The  daily  report  of  the  Seminary  was  introduced  into 
the  Sabbath  school  in  a  way  that  only  Orientals  could  do 
it.  The  older  members  of  the  school  were  required  to 
report  any  cases  of  swearing,  stealing,  or  quarrelling  among 
the  younger  ones  during  the  week,  who  were  publicly 
reproved  on  the  following  Sabbath.  This  made  the  parents 
more  careful  to  watch  over  their  children,  and  the  children 
more  circumspect  in  their  daily  behavior.  If  any  little 
trouble  occurred  among  them  during  the  week,  they  said 
to  each  other,  " Let  us  be  careful ;  Sabbath  is  near;"  and 
though  at  first  some  of  the  people  smiled  when  the  children 
were  reproved,  it  soon  became  more  common  for  them  to 
weep. 

20* 


234  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

After  taking  an  account  of  the  attendance,  the  children 
sang,  divided  into  two  companies,  on  opposite  sides  of 
the  church  ;  and  then  Mar  Elias,  or  some  of  the  elders 
of  the  A-illage,  addressed  the  school.  Yonan  closes  his 
account  of  it  hy  saying,  "  We  have  learned  in  this  work 
more  than  ever  before  the  value  of  female  education. 
Among  our  most  energetic,  faithful  teachers  are  young 
women  who  love  to  sit  down  before  little  children,  and 
the  ignorant  of  their  own  sex,  and  teach  them  the  way 
of  life." 

Thursday,  June  1st,  1854,  was  a  great  day  in  Geog 
Tapa.  The  forenoon  was  devoted  to  the  examination  of  a 
girls'  school,  taught  by  Hanee  and  Nargis,  graduates  of  the 
preceding  year,  and  both  belonging  in  the  village.  As  it 
was  a  feast  day,  a  large  number  were  present  from  the 
neighboring  hamlets.  At  nine  o'clock  the  examination 
commenced  in  the  spacious  church,  which  was  crowded, 
the  congregation  numbering  about  six  hundred  in  all.  The 
fifty  pupils  occupied  the  middle  of  the  church.  The  studies 
pursued  were  ancient  and  modern  Syriac,  geography,  arith- 
metic, both  Scripture  and  secular  history,  reading  and 
spelling ;  and  in  all  of  them  the  pupils  did  credit  both  to 
themselves  and  their  teachers.  The  singing,  that  day, 
especially  pleased  the  parents,  many  of  whom  exclaimed 
with  wonder,  "Our  daughters  can  leam  as  well  as  our  sons." 
Miss  Fiske  rejoiced  to  see  her  children's  children  in  the 
pupils  of  her  first  pupil,  who  gracefully  managed  her  lit- 
tle flock  with  an  easy  control.  The  villages  of  Gavalan, 
Y izierawa,  and  Ardishai,  had  each  a  similar  school,  contain- 
ing in  all  one  hundred  pupils ;  and  each  of  these  schools 
was  as  valued  a  centre  of  religious  influence  as  of  intel- 
lectual training.  The  teachers  were  in  the  habit  of  pray- 
ing with  one  of  their  pupils  alone  every  day,  as  well  as  of 


EBENEZERS.  235 

opening  the  school  with  prayer ;  and  Friday  afternoon  was 
regularly  devoted  to  a  religious  meeting  with  the  mothers 
of  the  pupils.  These  schools  fitted  the  teachers  for  useful- 
ness, and  the  pupils  for  admission  to  the  Seminary,  as  well 
as  for  teachers  in  the  Sabbath  school ;  and  they  furnish  a 
delightful  view  of  the  present  and  prospective  usefulness  of 
the  Seminary  among  the  people. 

Noon  came,  and  the  large  assembly  scattered,  to  enjoy 
the  hospitality  of  the  village.  For  the  people  opened  their 
houses  for  those  in  attendance,  just  as  they  do  with  us 
at  the  annual  meetings  of  the  American  Board.  Geog  Tapa 
could  also  boast  of  its  committee  of  arrangements,  in  hum- 
ble imitation  of  greater  things. 

After  a  recess  of  an  hour  and  a  half,  the  people  reas- 
sembled for  the  examination  of  the  Sabbath  school,  in  a 
grove  behind  the  church,  as  that  building  could  not  con- 
tain the  multitude  which  now  numbered  more  than  a  thou- 
sand. First  came  a  class  of  men,  from  twenty  to  seventy 
years  of  age,  headed  by  Malik  Aga  Bey,  the  village  chief. 
They  had  been  taught  orally  by  Deacon  John,  and  an- 
swered questions  in  Old  Testament  history  veiy  readily. 
Then  followed  a  class  of  women,  fifty  or  sixty  in  number, 
most  of  them  over  forty  years  of  age.  These  had  been 
taught  by  Yonan,  and  were  quite  familiar  with  the  Old 
Testament,  from  the  creation  to  the  reign  of  David.  One 
old  blind  woman  wanted  to  point  out  the  stopping  places 
of  Israel  in  the  desert,  on  the  map  which  hung  on  one  of 
the  tall  trees  :  she  had  learned  their  names  by  heart,  and 
was  familiar  with  their  location  by  touch. 

Next  came  a  class  of  twenty  men,  who  had  recently 
learned  to  read;  for  which  they  had  each  received  a  copy 
of  the  New  Testament.  A  class  of  women  then  followed, 
numbering  twenty-three,  who  had  also  been  taught  to  read 


238  WOMAN    AND    HER    SAVIOUR. 

by  the  boys  and  girls  in  the  village  schools.  Mr.  Stoddard 
called  for  the  teacher  of  each  woman  to  step  forward ;  and 
a  copy  of  the  Old  Testament  was  presented  to  every  one 
of  them,  as  they  stood  in  a  row  in  front  of  their  pupils. 
There  was  one  woman  who  stood  without  a  teacher.  Mr. 
Stoddard  called  for  hers  also,  and  some  one  whispered 
to  him  that  she  had  been  taught  by  her  husband.  Mr. 
Stoddard  thereupon  led  him  out,  and,  placing  his  hand  on 
his  head,  said,  before  the  whole  assembly,  "All  honor  to 
the  man  who  has  taught  his  wife  to  read ! "  and  presented 
him  also  with  a  Bible. 

One  who  was  frequently  present  often*  wept  to  see 
women  giving  a  morsel  to  their  infants  to  quiet  them,  that 
they  might  devote  the  longer  time  to  their  lessons ;  some 
of  them  so  intent  on  the  work  of  learning,  that  their  faces 
were  bathed  in  perspiration.  She  used  to  fill  her  pocket 
and  reticule  with  cakes  for  the  little  ones,  so  that  their 
mothers  might  be  more  free  from  interruption.  The  exer- 
cises of  that  day  gave  a  great  impulse  to  the  cause  of 
education  in  Geog  Tapa.  As  many  as  seventy  adults  were 
soon  poring  over  their  spelling  books ;  and  the  next  sum- 
mer one  half  of  the  adult  women  were  either  readers  or 
engaged  in  the  same  employment ;  though  previous  to  the 
examination  of  the  Seminary  in  1850,  not  one  in  thirty 
could  read,  or  cared  to  learn. 

Having  given  an  account  of  these  two  interesting  occa- 
sions, let  us  now  look  in  on  another  equally  interesting, 
though  of  a  different  kind,  that  took  place  in  Oroomiah, 
three  years  later.  During  the  interval,  Mr.  Stoddard  had 
entered  into  rest  ;  and  his  bereaved  widow,  Dr.  Per- 
kins and  family,  and  Miss  Fiske,  were  about  to  sit  down 
together,  perhaps  for  the  last  time,  with  the  Nestorian  con- 
verts, at  the  table  of  the  Lord. 


EBENEZERS.   '  237 

It  was  in  May,  and  the  day  one  of  the  finest  of  those 
charming  May  days  in  Oroomiah.  The  most  of  the  Nes- 
torians  who  had  been  admitted  to  the  communion  were 
present ;  and  in  distributing  the  guests  among  the  mission 
families,  it  was  understood  that  all  who  had  been  con- 
nected with  the  Seminary  should  go  there.  The  object  of 
this  was,  to  gather  all  the  scattered  members  of  the  family 
together  once  more  in  the  place  where  prayer  had  been 
wont  to  be  made,  before  they  went  to  the  Lord's  table. 
As  yet,  no  one  knew  that  their  teacher  was  about  to  leave 
them ;  for  she  did  not  wish  any  thing  else  to  turn  away 
their  thoughts  from  Jesus.  When  they  had  assembled  in 
the  school  room,  she  could  not  say  much,  but  besought  the 
Lord  Jesus  to  be  the  Master  of  the  assembly.  After  sing- 
ing a  hymn,  the  words  "looking  unto  Jesus"  were  given  as 
the  key-note  of  the  meeting.  He  came  and  whispered 
peace,  and  all  felt  that  they  sat  together  in  heavenly 
places.  The  eyes  of  their  hearts  were  opened,  so  that  they 
realized  the  fulfilment  of  the  promise,  "  There  am  I  in  the 
midst  of  you." 

They  were  invited  to  speak  freely  of  their  joys  and  sor- 
rows, in  order  that  together  they  might  carry  them  to 
Jesus.  The  first  to  speak  was  Hanee,  one  of  the  two  whom 
Mar  Yohanan  brought  to  Miss  Fiske  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  school.1  She  had,  not  long  before,  buried  her 
only  child ;  and  holding  her  hands  as  though  the  little  one 
still  rested  on  her  arms,  she  said,  "  Sisters,  at  the  last  com- 
munion you  saw  me  here  with  my  babe  in  these  arms. 
It  is  not  here  now.  I  have  laid  it  into  the  arms  of  Jesus, 
and  come  to-day  to  tell  yo.u  there  is  a  sweet  as  well  as  a 
bitter  in  affliction.  "When  the  rod  is  appointed  to  us,  let 
us  not  only  kiss  it,  but  press  it  to  our  lips.     When  I  stood 

1  See  page  51. 


238  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

by  that  little  open  grave,  I  said,  '  All  the  time  I  have  given 
to  my  babe,  I  will  give  to  souls.'  I  try  to  do  so.  Pray  for 
me."  She  told  but  the  simple  truth;  for  after  the  death 
of  her  child,  she  used  to  bring  the  women  into  the  room 
where  it  died,  and  there  talk  and  pray  with  them.  Since 
then,  she  has  received  another  little  one,  and  in  the  same 
spirit  given  it  back  to  Christ.  When  she  ceased,  the  whole 
company  were  in  tears.  The  leader  could  only  ask,  "  Who 
will  pray  ?"  and  Sanum,  whose  children  had  died  by  poison, 
and  who  could  enter  into  the  feelings  of  the  bereaved 
mother,  knelt  down  and  prayed  as  very  few  could  pray  for 
mothers  left  desolate,  and  for  those  who  still  folded  their 
little  ones  in  their  arms.  There  was  perfect  silence  while 
she  pleaded  for  them,  save  as  the  sweet  voice  of  her  own 
babe  sometimes  added  to  the  tenderness  of  her  petitions. 
A  child  in  heaven  !  what  a  treasure  !  and  what  a  blessing, 
if  it  draw  the  heart  thither  also ! 

There  was  a  little  pause  after  the  prayer;  and,  to  the  sur- 
prise of  all,  the  voice  of  Nazloo  was  heard  in  another  part 
of  the  room ;  for  they  had  supposed  her  near,  if  not  already 
entering,  the  river  of  death.  "  Sisters,"  said  she,  "  since 
seeing  you,  I  have  stood  with  one  foot  in  the  grave ;  and 
may  I  tell  you  that  it  is  a  very  different  thing  to  be  a  Chris- 
tian then,  from  what  it  is  in  this  pleasant  school  room. 
Let  me  ask  you  if  you  are  sure  that  you  are  on  the  Rock 
Christ  Jesus."  A  tender  prayer  followed,  the  burden  of 
which  was,  "  Search  us,  O  Lord,  and  try  us,  and  see  if 
there  be  any  wicked  way  in  us,  and  lead  us  in  the  way 
everlasting." 

The  next  to  speak  was  one  of  the  early  pupils,  who  had 
come  many  miles  that  day  to  be  present.  She  said,  "  I 
could  think  but  One  thought  all  the  way  as  I  came,  and 
that  was,  '  Freely  ye  have  received,  freely  give.'     We  have 


EBENEZERS.  239 

certainly  received  freely:  have  we  given  any  thing?  Can 
we  not  do  something  for  souls  ?  I  fear  the  Lord  Jesus  is 
not  pleased  with  us." 

They  were  then  asked  if  they  were  ready  to  engage  in 
direct  labors  for  souls,  to  search  them  out,  and  by  conver- 
sation and  prayer  seek  to  lead  them  to  Christ.  Many 
pledged  themselves  to  the  work,  and  engaged  to  bring  the 
names  of  those  for  whom  they  had  labored  to  the  next 
communion,  that  all  together  might  intercede  in  their  be- 
half to  God.  Before  that  time  arrived,  Miss  Fiske  left  for 
America;  but  the  first  letter  she  opened,  out  of  a  large 
parcel  that  awaited  her  in  Boston,  was  one  containing  the 
names  of  those  with  Avhom  her  pupils  had  labored  and 
prayed  in  distant  Persia.  Is  it  strange  that,  as  the  slips  of 
paper  fell  at  her  feet,  her  heart  was  moved  ? 

But  we  cannot  dwell  longer  on  the  prayer  meeting.  As 
many  as  twelve  said  a  few  words,  and  more  than  that  num- 
ber led  in  prayer,  during  the  two  hours  they  were  together: 
from  thence  all  repaired  to  the  dining  room,  —  the  three 
upper  windows  on  the  right  of  the  engraving  belong  to 
this, — where  they  did  "eat  their  meat  with  gladness  and 
singleness  of  heart."  Then  it  was  announced  that  arrange- 
ments had  been  made  for  class  prayer  meetings.  It  seemed 
to  be  just  the  thing  that  all  longed  for,  though  none  had 
spoken  of  it ;  and  at  once  each  class  went  along  the 
familiar  passages  to  the  room  assigned  it,  and  the  voice  of 
prayer  arose  from  nearly  every  apartment  in  the  building. 
The  chapel  bell  rung,  but  it  was  unnoticed ;  and  each  little 
company  had  to  be  separately  summoned  to  church.  There, 
according  to  previous  arrangement,  Miss  Fiske  led  each  to 
a  seat,  that  the  communicants  might  be  together,  and  then 
herself  sat  down  behind  them  all.  A  glance  revealed 
ninety-three  sisters  in  Christ  before  her ;  and  as  the  ser- 


240  WOMAN    AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 

vices  had  not  yet  commenced,  her  thoughts  went  back  to 
the  day  when,  asking  concerning  many  of  them,  "Is  this 
one  a  Christian?"  "or  that  one?"  "or  that  other?"  the 
answer  came,  "  You  have  no  sister  in  Christ  among  them 
all ! "  No  wonder  she  now  inwardly  exclaimed,  "  What  hath 
God  wrought  ?  The  Lord  hath  done  great  things  for  us, 
whereof  we  are  glad."  There  was  but  one  among  the  ninety- 
three  with  whom  she  had  not  bowed  the  knee  in  prayer, 
and  that  same  evening,  as  she  was  devising  methods  to  get 
her  away  from  the  rest  to  her  room  alone,  the  Lord  sent 
her,  unexpectedly,  to  the  door;  and  with  her  also  she  en- 
joyed the  privilege  of  personal  religious  intercourse  and 
prayer. 

At  the  communion,  when  all  stood  up  to  enter  into  cov- 
enant with  thirty-nine  new  converts,  six  of  them  pupils  of 
the  Seminary,  there  seemed  a  deeper  meaning  than  ever 
before  in  engaging  to  be  the  Lord's  forever. 

In  Hanee  we  have  seen  the  grace  bestowed  on  one  of  the 
two  whom  Mar  Yohanan  brought  to  form  the  nucleus  of 
the  school.  The  other  was  Selby,  of  Gavalan,  his  own 
niece.  She  became  hopefully  pious  in  1846,  when  hardly 
ten  years  of  age.  There  were  very  few  in  whom  her 
teachers  took  such  uniform  delight,  though  they  felt  some 
anxiety  when  she  married  Priest  Kamo,  of  Marbeeshoo,  a 
cousin  of  Mar  Shimon  —  intelligent  and  influential,  but 
unconverted.  Yet  she  had  strong  faith  that  he  would 
become  a  Christian,  and  soon  gained  a  wonderful  influence 
over  him,  without  compromising  in  the  least  her  own 
religious  principles.  She  became  his  teacher  in  the  Bible, 
—  it  was  a  new  book  to  him,  —  and  in  her  he  saw  the 
Christian  life  it  described  beautifully  exemplified.  She  had 
just  begun  to  hope  that  her  prayers  were  answered  in  his 
conversion.     He  was  much  interested  in  aiding  the  evan- 


EBENEZERS.  241 

gelists  in  the  mountains,  and  the  mission  was  hoping  great 
things  from  him,  under  the  good  influence  of  Selby,  when 
he  died.  Her  feelings,  under  this  affliction,  are  thus  de- 
scribed by  her  own  pen,  in  a  letter  to  her  teacher,  dated 
Marbeeshoo,  June  4th,  1859:  — 

"  It  is  not  because  I  have  forgotten  you  that  I  have  not 
written  you  until  now.  How  can  I  forget  you  ?  And 
were  that  possible,  I  could  not  forget  your  instructions.  I 
remember  them  at  all  times,  by  day  and  by  night.  They 
comfort  me  in  sorrow,  and  strengthen  me  in  anguish. 
You  have  taught  me  the  duties  of  this  life,  and  you  have 
pointed  me  to  the  world  to  come.  I  remember  when  you 
used  to  take  me  by  the  hand,  and  lead  me  into  your  closet, 
and  there  pray  with  me;  and  my  heart  fills  with  mingled 
joy  and  sorrow  —  with  joy,  that  such  precious  seasons  were 
given  me ;  with  sorrow,  that  they  will  be  mine  no  more. 
Shall  I  never  see  your  face  again  —  that  face,  which  bore 
to  us  more  than  a  mother's  love  ?  You  were  a  perfect 
mother,  because  in  Christ. 

"  I  grieve  very  much  that  I  did  not  see  you  before  you 
left ;  but  I  believe  that  the  seed  you  have  sown  will  con- 
tinue to  spring  up  to  the  end  of  the  world.  You  asked 
me,  in  your  letter,  to  tell  you  about  my  work.  I  have  a 
gi-eater  work  than  any  of  my  companions,  but  it  is  in  a 
place  covered  with  thick  darkness,  like  that  of  Egypt.  The 
people  are  stiff-necked,  wise  to  do  evil,  but  of  God  they 
have  no  knowledge.  Temptations  surround  me  as  moun- 
tains ;  they  rise  up  about  me  like  the  waves  of  the  sea. 
While  Kamo  lived,  I  was  comforted,  for  he  loved  the  truth. 
Every  day  he  used  to  read  the  Scriptures  with  me,  and 
ask  the  meaning  of  each  verse.  I  had  hoped  he  would 
have  Paul's  zeal  in  the  work  of  the  Lord.  I  had  expected 
that  we  should  have  schools  in  our  village  after  a  year  or 
21 


242  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

two,  and  that  the  places  of  concourse  for  idle  conversation 
would  become  places  for  reading  the  Scriptures,  and  for 
prayer.  But  it  has  pleased  the  Lord  to  give  me  a  great 
and  heavy  affliction.  He  has  smitten  me  with  his  own 
rod,  making  this  world  a  vale  of  tears.  But  it  is  the  Lord ; 
let  him  do  what  he  pleaseth.     It  is  all  for  my  profit. 

"  I  want  to  ask  you  and  your  friends  to  pray  for  me,  that 
I  may  endure  to  the  end." 

The  feelings  of  the  pupils,  after  the  departure  of  Miss 
Fiske,  are  graphically  expressed  in  the  following  letter  from 
Hatoon,  of  Geog  Tapa :  — 

"  My  heart  longs  to  tell  you  of  the  change  in  our  dear 
school.  Our  return,  after  vacation,  was  much  like  that  of 
the  Jews  from  Babylon,  when  they  found  their  city  laid 
waste,  and  their  temple  in  ruins.  Every  time  they  looked 
on  the  spot  where  it  had  stood,  their  hearts  were  crushed. 
So  when  we  did  not  see  you,  and  went  not  to  take  your 
hand  and  be  kissed  by  you, — when  we  saw  not  your  ready 
feet  coming  to  the  door,  to  bring  in  each  one  and  make 
her  happy,  —  our  hearts  were  broken,  and  we  could  not 
restrain  our  tears  ;  especially  when  I  remembered  the  times 
that  the  daughters  of  the  church  used  to  meet  in  your 
room  to  mingle  our  prayers,  our  tears,  and  our  joys  to- 
gether. These  recollections  leave  an  aching  void  which 
cannot  be  filled.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  ways  of  your 
room  mourn,  because  you  come  not  to  the  solemn  feasts. 
If  Jeremiah  were  here,  I  think  he  would  say,  '  How  doth 
Miss  Fiske's  room  sit  solitary  that  was  full  of  people ! 
How  do  the  daughters  of  the  Oroomiah  schools  mourn, 
and  their  eyes  run  down  with  water,  because  Miss  Fiske 
is  far  from  them ! '  These  changes  show  us  that  this  world 
is  as  down  driven  by  the  wind.  Perhaps  you  will  reply, 
in  your  cheerful  way,  'Do  you  feel  so?     There  is  much 


EBENEZERS.  243 

that  is  pleasant  in  the  world.'  I  know  it ;  but  our  school 
was  always  such  a  pleasant  place  to  me.  I  was  so  happy 
in  it  and  its  heavenly  employments,  that  not  even  the 
death  of  friends  could  destroy  that  joy.  But  now  I  seem 
overshadowed  by  dark  clouds,  and  sinking  in  deep  mire. 
Yet  I  will  try,  in  all  this,  to  bow  my  will  to  the  holy  will 
of  Him  who  doeth  all  things  well." 


CHAPTER    XX. 

COMPOSITIONS. 

THE     FIELD     OF     CLOVER. THE     LOST     SOUL.  THE     SATED     SOUL. 

HANNAH. 

It  was  very  important  that  the  pupils  should  be  able  to 
express  their  own  thoughts,  readily  and  correctly,  with  the 
pen,  and  unwearied  effort  was  devoted  to  this  end ;  but  for 
a  long  time  they  seemed  incapable  of  clothing  an  idea  in 
words.  The  simplest  sentence  was  copied  over  and  over 
without  the  change  of  a  single  word ;  and  even  when  it 
was  expressed  for  them  in  other  language,  they  only  re- 
peated over  that  variation  of  the  first.  Three  years  were 
spent  In  trying  to  teach  them  to  write  their  own  thoughts, 
with  very  little  success;  but  in,L1846,  the  Spirit  of  God 
secured  the  result  that  man  had  sought  in  vain.  After 
that,  both  their  ideas  and  their  language  were  very  beauti- 
ful. Nothing  pleased  them  better  than  to  be  allowed  to 
write ;  and  it  was  matter  of  grateful  remark  that  those 
compositions  which  were  penned  during  a  revival  were 
always  the  best. 

This  was  especially  true  in  the  awakening  of  1850,  which 
was  noted  for  the  prevalence  of  a  spirit  of  meditation  and 
holy  communion  with  God.  The  pupils  at  that  time  came 
forth  from  private  intercourse  with  their  Saviour,  to  pen 
some  of  the  sweetest  writings  in  the  Syriac  language. 

One  day  that  winter,  both  the  teachers  wished  to  attend 

(244) 


COMPOSITIONS.  245 

an  examination  at  Seir,  and  asked  them  if  they  would  be 
diligent  during  their  absence.  "O,  yes,"  was  the  reply,  "if 
you  will  only  let  us  write  composition."  The  following 
was  found  on  the  slate  of  Nazloo,  when  they  returned :  — 

"the  clover  field. 

"  We  walk  out  in  the  country,  and  the  road  leads  us  by  a 
lovely  field  of  clover.  We  see  it  in  all  its  modest  beauty. 
There  are  the  green  leaves,  so  regular  in  their  form  and 
outline ;  the  beautiful  flowers,  so  wonderful  in  their  struc- 
ture ;  and  the  sweet  fragrance,  that  regales  our  senses  as  we 
pass.  All  these  are  there,  but  we  see  not  whence  they 
come.  No  showers  descend  to  make  it  grow;  the  earth 
is  parched  on  all  sides.  Do  you  inquire  for  the  source  of 
all  this  loveliness  ?  A  tiny  rill  of  water  flows  gently  under- 
neath. No  eye  sees  it.  You  cannot  hear  its  quiet  advance, 
for  it  does  not  murmur  as  it  wears  itself  out  in  its  work  of 
love.  Noiseless  it  hies  to  each  little  rootlet.  It  conveys 
nourishment  to  every  leaf;  not  one  is  overlooked  or  for- 
gotten. That  unseen  rill  causes  these  fair  blossoms  to 
spring  forth.  It  distils  these  odors  for  the  enjoyment  of  all 
that  pass  this  way.  What  that  streamlet  is  to  the  field, 
prayer  is  to  the  Christian.  We  see  it  not ;  it  is  all  hid  from 
human  eye  ;  but  O,  the  rich  fruit  that  it  ^yields  every  day 
in  the  soul  thus  made  partaker  of  the  life  of  Christ !  That 
also  makes  the  wilderness  to  rejoice  and  blossom  as  the 
rose. " 

At  the  annual  examination  in  1850,  Sanum  read  her 
composition,  a  translation  of  which  is  here  inserted  :  — 

"  THE    LOST    SOUL.  * 

"  I  have  dreamed  a  dream,  dear  friends  —  may  I  relate  it  ? 

*  See  page  224. 

21* 


246  WOMAN  AND  HER  SAVIOUR. 

"  In  my  dream  I  was  wandering  about,  seeking  for  earthly 
pleasures,  though  my  life  was  crowned  with  blessings  more 
plentiful  than  the  clew  of  the  morning.  My  father  and 
mother  did  every  thing  they  could  to  bring  me  to  Christ. 
Their  labors  for  me  were  enough  to  make  me  weep  my  last 
tear,  but  my  hard  heart  remained  unmoved.  Four  times  did 
the  Holy  Spirit  strive  with  me,  and  as  often  I  grieved  him 
away.     I  broke  every  promise  that  I  made  to  serve  the  Lord. 

"  There  came  a  beautiful  clay  in  spring.  The  sun  lighted 
up  every  thing  with  gladness.  The  fields  were  dressed  in 
green.  The  trees  were  in  blossom.  Loved  by  my  friends, 
surrounded  by  every  thing  to  make  me  happy,  and  rejoicing 
that  so  much  enjoyment  was  still  in  store  for  me,  I  was 
saying  to  my  soul,  'Take  thine  ease,'  when  suddenly  a 
voice  cried,  '  This  night  thy  soul  shall  be  required  of  thee ; 
then  whose  shall  be  all  these?'  Another  voice  added, 
'These  four  years  heaven  and  earth  have  pleaded  with 
you  to  bring  forth  fruit  to  God,  but  you  have  refused. 
Your  heart  has  said  "I  will  fix  my  seat  above  the  stars  of 
heaven."  Now  you  must  go  clown  to  the  abyss.'  Like 
arrows  these  words  pierced  my  heart ;  my  strength  departed, 
and  others  bore  me  to  my  home.  There  my  parents  were 
speechless  with  sorrow.  The  bed  of  down  was  made  ready, 
but  it  afforded  me  no  rest.  I  seemed  to  lie  on  thorns. 
Then  I  appeared  to  faint,  though  still  able  to  hear  their 
conversation.  Sobbing  aloud,  they  said,  '  Sweet  child,  if 
you  were  only  a  Christian,  gladly  would  we  go  with  you  to 
the  gates  of  heaven,  hoping  soon  to  meet  again ;  but  this  is 
more  than  Ave  can  bear.  Alas,  that  one  borne  in  the  arms  of 
our  love,  with  whom  and  for  whom  we  have  prayed,  must 
now  say  that  our  God  is  not  her  God,  nor  our  Saviour  hers ! 
Is  there  no  ray  of  light  for  her  in  the  darkness  ?  Can  we 
never  again  point  her  to  Jesus  ? '     As  I  listened  in  anguish, 


COMPOSITIONS.  247 

I  cried  aloud,  '  Is  there  no  hope  for  me  ?  '  They  replied, 
'  We  will  implore  mercy  for  you  again  and  again,  and  pos- 
sibly the  physician  may  help  you.  Here  he  is.'  As  he 
came  in  the  recollection  of  his  past  faithful  warnings  made 
me  weep  aloud.  He  said,  '  Why  weep?  Do  you  not  wish  to 
see  me  ? '  '  Dear  friend,  it  is  not  that ;  but  the  sight  of 
you  recalls  your  entreaties  to  come  to  Christ,  and  my 
neglect  of  them.  If  you  can  only  give  me  one  hour  of 
quiet,  I  will  try  to  come  now.'  He  saw  that  the  hand  of 
death  was  on  me,  and  replied,  'What  you  do  you  must  do 
quickly.'  'What  can  I  do  in  such  distress?'  'Can  you 
not  cry,  "Lord,  remember  me,"  like  the  dying  malefactor?' 
'  Those  words  comforted  me  once,  but  now  I  cannot  use 
them.'  '  Can  you  not  pray  ? '  '  No.  Once  I  would  not 
hear  God,  and  now  he  will  not  hear  me.  O  father,  mother, 
friends,  pray  for  me.  Send  for  my  teacher  to  pray  for  me. 
Ask  every  servant  of  God  to  entreat  for  me  while  yet  I 
live.'  The  request  went  forth.  The  weeping  physician 
offered  supplication  at  my  side.  My  father  and  mother 
seemed  to  pour  forth  their  last  breath  in  intercession  for 
me.  As  I  turned,  I  saw  my  teachers,  and  conscience 
arrayed  before  me  every  word  they  had  ever  spoken  to  me 
of  Christ  and  heaven.  All  my  own  actions  were  likewise 
spread  out  before  my  eyes.  Then  the  whirlwind  of  my 
sins  swept  me  away  like  a  tiny  leaf,  to  sink  in  a  sea  of 
anguish.  My  teacher  now  cried,  '  We  had  hoped  to  see 
our  dear  pupil  passing  over  to  the  new  Jerusalem;  but, 
instead  of  that,  must  she  dwell  among  the  lost?'  A  gentle 
voice  then  whispered,  '  Go  to  Jesus ;  he  will  not  cast  you 
out.'  '  To  Jesus !  nay,  for  knowingly  my  hands  have 
pierced  him.  Willingly  these  feet  have  trampled  on  his 
precious  blood.  I  have  compelled  his  spirit  to  forsake  me, 
and  must  perish.' 


248  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

"  Then  I  saw  those  whom  I  had  led  into  sin  and  encour- 
aged in  unbelief,  and  said  to  them,  '  Can  you  forgive  me  ? ' 
But  a  voice  from  heaven  replied,  '  You  cannot  be  forgiven ; 
for  the  name  of  Jesus  you  have  set  at  nought,  and  there  is 
none  other.'  Then  my  teacher  pressed  my  hand ;  she 
could  not  speak.  I  said,  '  You  have  ever  shown  great  love ; 
can  you  not  help  me  now  ? '  '  Dear  child,  have  I  not  told 
you  that  though  I  love  you,  yet  I  have  no  power  to  help  in 
this  hour  or  hereafter.'  '  O,  dreadful  thought !  Must  I 
leave  you  all,  forever  ?  parents,  teachers,  all !  Can  you  do 
nothing  for  me?'  'We  can  only  point  you  to  Jesus.' 
'  I  have  no  part  in  him.  I  am  a  Demas ;  and  with  such 
agony  now,  what  will  be  the  wrath  to  come  ? '  I  begged 
all  present  not  to  live  as  I  had  lived.  '  Seize  the  moments 
that  fly  swifter  than  the  lightning.  There  is  no  place  for 
rej}entance  now :  my  retribution  begins.  Forget  not  these 
words  of  your  lost  sister.'  I  turned  to  my  mother :  '  There 
is  no  love  like  a  mother's;  can  that  do  nothing  for  me 
now?'  What  could  she  do?  'Can  no  one  help  me? 
Father,  father,  I  am  going ;  can  you  do  nothing  ?  ' 

"  Now  the  light  forsook  my  eyes.  O  for  a  few  moments 
more !  But  even  this  was  denied  me ;  for,  as  I  remembered, 
'  Cursed  is  the  man  that  trusteth  in  man,  and  whose  heart 
departeth  from  the  living  God.' 

"  I  now  heard  a  voice  as  of  a  rushing,  mighty  wind. 
Trembling  seized  me,  as  I  discerned  four  fiends  of  darkness. 
I  uttered  a  piercing  shriek,  and  died.  Then  I  found  myself 
suspended  between  heaven  and  earth.  Behind  me,  the 
world  I  loved  so  well  had  gone  forever.  Before  me  I  saw 
the  Ancient  of  Days  seated  on  his  throne,  his  raiment  white 
as  snow,  his  eyes  as  a  flame  of  fire,  his  feet  like  brass  glow- 
ing in  the  furnace,  and  a  stream  of  fire  issued  from  before 
him;  thousand  thousands   ministered   unto  him,  and   ten 


COMPOSITIONS.  249 

thousand  times  ten  thousand  stood  before  him.  Bright- 
ness radiated  from  him  on  all  sides.  He  fixed  his  eyes  on 
me,  glowing  with  holy  indignation,  while  a  two-edged 
sword  proceeded  out  of  his  mouth.  My  sins  arose  before 
me.  Conscience  condemned  me.  I  could  not  look  up. 
The  pains  of  hell  gat  hold  upon  me.  In  a  voice  unlike  all 
I  ever  heard  before,  he  said,  '  Slayer  of  my  Son,  desj^iser 
of  my  grace,  what  hast  thou  done?  Thou  hast  set  at 
nought  all  my  counsels.'  I  longed  to  flee ;  but  above  me*" 
stood  the  Judge,  below,  the  abyss.  I  could  give  no  reply. 
Again  he  said,  'My  covenant  thou  hast  trodden  under 
foot;'  and  he  commanded  his  servants,  'Bind  her  hand  and 
foot,  and- cast  her  into  outer  darkness,  where  is  weeping  and 
gnashing  of  teeth.  There  let  her  remain  till  that  great  day, 
when  all  mine  enemies  shall  be  trodden  in  the  wine-press 
of  my  wrath.' 

"Then  a  voice  from  out  of  the  throne  said,  'Praise  our 
God,  all  ye  his  servants,  and  ye  that  fear  him,  both  small 
and  great ; '  and  all  cried,  like  the  voice  of  many  waters, 
'Amen.  Allelujah.'  Heaven  responded  from  all  sides, '  Just 
and  true  are  thy  judgments,  thou  King  of  saints.'  Then 
Satan  and  his  angels  clapped  their  hands ;  and  mocking 
my  misery,  they  thrust  me  into  the  inner  prison. 

"  I  now  found  myself  associated  with  Cain,  Judas,  Jero- 
boam, and  Jezebel.  I  understood  what  Christ  meant  when 
he  said,  '  Bind  the  tares  in  bundles  to  burn  them,'  for  I  was 
enclosed  by  them  on  all  sides,  and  the  flames  from  them 
kindled  on  me.-  Then  a  voice  said,  'Judas  sold  his  Lord 
once,  but  thou  many  times.  Cain  slew  one  brother ;  thou 
hast  brought  many  to  this  place  of  torment.'  Then  all, 
especially  those  whom  I  had  led  there,  cursed  me.  Fallen 
spirits  gloried  over  me.  The  evil  passions  of  all  the  lost 
were  let  loose  on  me.    My  own  wicked  feelings  were  kindled 


250  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

into  a  flame  by  the  divine  wrath.  Now  I  understood  that 
scripture,  'They  have  no  rest  day  nor  night.'  My  ears, 
that  had  taken  pleasure  in  evil  conversation,  were  filled 
with  revilings.  My  tongue,  which  had  set  on  fire  the 
course  of  nature,  now  itself  set  on  fire  of  hell,  I  gnawed 
for  pain.  I  looked  up  to  beg  a  drop  of  water;  but  in- 
stead of  it  came  the  word,  'Daughter,  remember.'  As  I 
looked  up,  I  got  a  glimpse  of  one  of  my  companions  in 
Abraham's  bosom.  Once  we  were  together  pointed  to 
Jesus.  Now  the  impassable  gulf  was  between  us.  Hope 
now  fled  forever,  and  that  word,  '  Remember,'  brought 
every  moment  of 'my  life  before  me  in  characters  of  flaming 
fire.  Gladly  would  I  have  exchanged  this  agony  for  the 
pangs  of  death  endured  a  thousand  times  over,  or  for  all 
the  sufferings  of  earth  till  the  final  conflagration.  I  cursed 
my  soul,  weeping  without  a  tear.  Why  were  my  associates, 
once,  like  me,  children  of  wrath,  now  in  heaven,  while  I  was 
shut  out?  Ah,  they  listened  to  Jesus,  while  I  rejected 
him,  and  to  enjoy  a  momentary  pleasure  plunged  into  all 
this  anguish.  I  had  loved  those  who  now  tormented  me, 
and  cast  aside  the  loving  Saviour.  No  ray  of  mercy  can 
ever  reach  me  more.  No  friend  will  ever  love  me  again. 
In  my  madness  I  sought  to  flee  ;  but  wrath  held  me  rooted 
to  the  spot.  Cloud  on  cloud  rose  above  me,  each  inscribed, 
'Eternity!'  A  voice  cried  aloud,  'Forever!'  and  another 
replied,  '  Forever  and  ever ! '  The  waves  of  fire  now  rolled 
over  me,  and  the  worm  that  dieth  not  seized  hold  of  me.  I 
begged  for  even  the  smallest  mitigation  of  "misery,  and  the 
vials  of  wrath  were  poured  out  upon  me.  In  my  anguish 
I  cried,  'Roll  on,  ye  eternal  ages!'  But  why?  They  will 
be  no  nearer  through.  'O  Lord,  how  long?'  With  an 
earthquake,  that  seemed  to  shake  the  very  throne,  came 
back   the   reply,   'Forever!    Forever!'     I   sank   down  in 


COMPOSITIONS.  251 

unutterable  agony.  Then  I  awoke,  and  lo,  it  was  all  a  dream. 
The  darkness  of  night  was  yet  around  me ;  a  cold  sweat 
covered  me ;  and  that  word,  '  Forever ! '  still  rang  in  my 
ears.  Friends,  this  was  a  dream,  and  only  a  drop  in  the 
ocean,  conrpared  with  the  terrible  reality.  Let  us  pray 
that  we  may  be  saved  from  it  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord." 

The  large  audience  listened  to  these  vivid  delineations, 
jDart  of  the  time,  in  breathless  silence ;  and  again  the 
women  beat  on  their  breasts  with  half-suppressed  cries  for 
mercy.  The  reader,  as  well  as  they,  will  find  relief  from 
the  companion  picture  by  Moressa.  Sanum's  was  an 
original  conception  of  her  own.  The  theme  of  this  last 
was  suggested  by  Miss  Fiske,  as  a  fitting  counterpart  to 
the  preceding,  but  the  treatment  of  it  was  left  wholly 
with  the  writer. 

"the  saved  soul. 

"  While  meditating  on  death,  I  fell  into  a  sweet  sleep, 
and  dreamed  a  dream  which  rejoiced  my  spirit.  I  cannot 
refrain  from  relating  it  to  you,  dear  Christian  friends,  who 
are  looking  forward  to  the  glory  that  shall  be  revealed.  I 
dreamed  that  my  heavenly  Father  said  to  me,  '  Dear  child, 
heir  of  my  kingdom,  you  have  long  enough  borne  the 
troubles  of  this  vale  of  tears;  now  you  shall  be  freed  from 
them,  and  come  to  your  heavenly  home,  to  worship  me  in 
holiness.'  As  I  listened,  sickness  came,  and  I  laid  me  down 
on  my  bed  of  death  with  this  thought :  '  One  more  fruit  of 
sin,  and  then  —  heaven.'  My  poor  friends,  not  understand- 
ing this,  inquired,  with  weeping,  if  I  could  not  possibly 
recover ;  but  when  they  -saw  that  I  was  dying,  they  gath- 
ered round  me,  to  go  down  with  me  to  the  banks  of  Jordan. 
My  soul  was  exceeding  joyful,  for  the  light  of  the  promised 


252  WOMAN   AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 

land  shone  on  me,  and  the  dread  river  was  quiet,  for  Jesus 
had  said  to  it,  '  Peace,  be  still.' 

"While  in  this  joyful  state,  I  remembered  with  sorrow 
how  many  years  I  had  refused  to  acknowledge  the  Prince 
of  life  as  my  King,  while  he  waited  with  open  arms  to 
receive  me ;  and  how  often,  after  putting  my  hand  to  the 
plough,  I  had  looked  back.  My  backsliding,  my  evil  ex- 
ample, my  neglect  of  souls,  all  rose  before  me  like  a  dark 
cloud,  and  1  was  in  agony.  But  soon  a  voice  said,  '  Thy 
sins  are  forgiven!'  and  all  was  light.  I  said,  'Loi'd,  I 
must  praise  thee  for  this  forever ;  but  I  cannot  forgive  my- 
self Yet,  though  the  pains  of  death  were  on  me,  I  was 
comforted  to  be  nearer  the  land  where  they  sin  no  more. 
Earthly  pleasure  now  seemed  emptiness.  The  pleasures 
of  heaven  filled  my  thoughts.  I  said,  'Is  this  death — that 
which  we  poor  mortals  fear  ? '  My  friends  asked,  '  Has  he 
no  terrors  for  you  ? '  '  No  ;  none.  The  king  of  terrors  is 
to  me  the  chief  of  joys.'  One  of  my  teachers  said,  '  So 
you  have  no  fear  of  him  —  no  sorrow  that  your  body  shall 
lie  in  the  grave  ! '  '  Why  fear  or  sorrow,  when  Christ  has 
overcome  both  death  and  sin?'  My  father  then  asked, 
'  Do  you  suffer  much  ? '  '  Yes ;  but  if  I  suffered  a  thou- 
sand times  more,  what  would  that  be  to  those  bitter  hours 
upon  the  cross.  This  veil  must  be  rent  asunder,  though  by 
suffering,  before  I  can  see  Him,  whom,  even  now,  I  long 
to  behold.'  My  poor  mother  interposed,  '  But  are  you 
willing  to  leave  us?'  'You  are  all  very  dear  to  me;  but 
there  is  only  one  who  is  altogether  lovely.  When  shall  I 
see  him  as  he  is,  and  be  filled  with  his  love  ? ' 

"It  was  now  difficult  to  speak,  but  I  could  bid  my 
friends  farewell.  I  could  thank  my  dear  teachers  for  tell- 
ing me  of  Christ,  and  ask  their  forgiveness  for  all  I  had 
ever  done  to  grieve  them.     As  my  weeping  mother  wiped 


COMPOSITIONS.  253 

• 

the  cold  sweat  from  my  brow,  she  gently  whispered, 
'Where  is  my  child  going?'  'Mother,'  I  replied,  'your 
poor  sinful  child  is  going  to  that  Saviour  who  has  been 
willing  to  receive  her.'  His  rod  and  staff  then  comforted 
me,  till  I  had  passed  quite  over  into  the  blessed  land. 
And,  as  I  was  borne  on  in  my  Saviour's  ai-ms,  voices  cried, 
'Welcome,  dear  sister;  you  are  now  made  whole — you 
shall  sin  no  more  —  enter  into  rest.'  Mortal  tongue  cannot 
tell  what  I  now  saw  of  the  treasures  which  Christ  has  pre- 
pared for  the  redeemed.  He  gave  me  a  mansion  he  had 
made  ready  for  me,  and  I  found  myself  gazing  on  the 
brightness  of  the  Father's  glory.  What  a  change  had 
come  over  me  !  I  was  among  those  without  spot,  for  they 
had  been  made  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.  Their 
voices  were  one,  for  all  praised  the  Lord.  Now  the  glory 
of  the  Ancient  of  Days  filled  me  with  awe.  He  sat  upon 
a  throne  of  light,  with  seraphim  on  the  right  and  cheru- 
bim on  the  left,  and  I  could  read  the  foundations  of 
his  throne.  Legions  of  bright  angels  and  happy  saints 
were  around  him.  I  fell  down  with  them  to  worship  at  his 
feet,  when  he  touched  me  and  raised  me  up,  saying,  'Thou 
art  blessed,  for  thou  art  redeemed  with  the  blood  of  my 
Son.'  Then  he  clothed  me  in  a  heavenly  robe,  and  bade 
all  heaven  rejoice,  saying,  '  This  my  child  was  dead,  and 
is  alive  again,  and  is  saved  from  everlasting  destruction.' 

"He  then  revealed  to  me  more  fully  that  mystery  of 
ages  —  the  Redeemer  standing  on  the  right  hand  of  the 
Father.  He  stood  with  open  arms,  saying,  '  Come,  daugh- 
ter of  my  bitter  grief,  come  in  peace.  I  remembered  thee 
on  the  cross.  For  thee  I  drank  that  cup  of  agony;  thy 
curse  has  rested  on  me,  that  everlasting  joy  might  dwell  in 
thee.'  As  he  thus  spoke,  I  fell  down  to  worship,  and  when 
I  looked  up,  my  eyes  rested  on  his  pierced  hands  and 
22 


254  WOMAN   AND   HER  SAVIOUR. 

wounded  side.  Tears  filled  my  eyes  when  I  remembered 
that  my  sins  had  caused  them ;  but  they  were  tears  that 
Jesus  wiped  away. 

"  When  I  saw  the  book  of  remembrance  at  his  side,  I 
thought,  there  is  the  record  of  my  sins ;  but  he  opened  it, 
saying,  '  Fear  not ;  from  the  day  thou  first  earnest  to  me, 
they  have  been  blotted  out.'  He  then  held  out  to  me  the 
Book  of  Life,  bidding  me  to  read  my  name  recorded  there, 
and  added,  '  Ages  hence,  in  the  great  day  of  account,  the 
world  shall  know  that  I  have  saved  thee ;  and  as  thou  hast 
not  denied  me  before  men,  I  will  confess  thy  name  before 
my  Father  and  before  his  angels;  enter  into  the  full  joy  of 
thy  Lord ;  inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for  thee  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world.'  Then  all  the  blessed  ones  cried, 
*  Amen.'  Their  harps  were  tuned  to  a  new  song,  and  they 
praised  the  living  God  that  another  soul  was  rescued  from 
the  great  adversary.  A  crown  was  also  placed  upon  my 
head,  that,  with  the  saints,  I  might  cast  it  at  the  feet  of  the 
Redeemer. 

"  Afterwards  I  was  led  to  our  first  parent,  now  for  more 
than  five  thousand  years  in  Paradise,  but  not  walking  amid 
forbidden  fruit.  Still,  when  he  stretched  out  his  hand  to 
the  tree  of  life,  he  seemed  to  remember  that  first  sin,  and 
to  thank  God  more  than  others  for  the  healing  of  the  na- 
tions. His  bright  face  glistened  with  a  tear  as  he  took 
my  hand,  saying,  '  Heir  of  my  fallen  nature,  welcome  to 
this  inheritance  of  the  second  Adam ; '  and  I  learned  that 
tears  are  always  wiped  from  that  face  when  Christ  brings 
home  his  fallen  children. 

"  As  I  turned,  I  saw  the  great  company  of  the  patriarchs, 
perfect  in  holiness,  and  clothed  in  light.  Faithful  Abra- 
ham was  there,  his  faith  changed  to  perfect  sight,  and 
rejoicing  in  his  spiritual  children.     The  meek  Moses  was 


COMPOSITIONS.  255 

there,  adoring  the  Prophet  whom  God  raised  up  from  the 
midst  of  Israel  like  unto  him.  And  I  beheld  Isaiah,  satis- 
fied with  the  eternal  sight  of  the  glory  of  which  he  had  a 
glimpse  on  earth.  Jeremiah,  too,  was  no  more  weeping  for 
the  slain  of  the  daughter  of  his  people,  and  all  the  holy 
prophets  were  clothed  upon  with  immortality,  and  praising 
their  Beloved  with  holy  lips. 

"  While  I  stood  gazing  on  them  in  wonder,  my  thoughts 
reverted  to  my  former  state.  What  a  glorious  change, 
from  a  world  of  sin  to  a  world  of  holiness  —  from  sinful 
friends  to  the  Friend  of  sinners.  How  different  these  sweet 
sounds  of  praise  from  the  rude  sounds  of  earth !  I  am 
receiving  my  reward  for  every  bitter  tear  of  penitence  I 
shed  on  earth ;  an  age  of  joy  is  before  me.  Who  am  I, 
that  I  should  be  raised  from  companionship  with  sin  to  the 
society  of  heaven  ?  My  soul  at  length  is  at  rest.  But 
how?  Not  as  rests  my  poor  body  in  the  grave,  but  in 
blessedness ;  for  I  rest  from  sin,  but  not  from  praise.  I  rest 
from  suffering,  but  not  from  everlasting  joy.  How  sweet 
to  rest,  while  not  ceasing  to  cry,  Holy,  holy,  holy  is  the 
Lord  God  Almighty !  I  rest  in  the  bosom  of  my  Saviour. 
My  prayers  are  turned  to  praise,  and  my  love  is  perfect. 

"  While  these  thoughts  filled  my  soul,  I  thanked  the  Lord 
with  a  new  song  on  the  golden  harp  that  had  been  placed 
in  my  hands,  singing  with  a  loud  voice,  '  What  is  my  wor- 
thiness, O  eternal  King,  that  thou  hast  made  me  to  walk 
in  thy  presence,  while  millions  are  shut  out  from  it  ? ' 

"  Now  a  company  of  the  holy  ones  led  me  through  a 
street  of  pure  gold,  to  where  the  river  of  water  of  life  pro- 
ceeded out  of  the  throne  of  God.  They  showed  me  the 
hidden  manna,  and  the  tree  of  life  yielding  its  twelve  fruits, 
and  leaves  for  the  healing  of  the  nations ;  and  beyond,  I 
saw  a  great  company  of  martyrs  who  had  been  slain  for 


256  WOMAN  AND   HEE   SAVIOUR. 

the  word  and  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ.  They 
stood  beneath  the  altar,  for  they  were  living  sacrifices. 
They  were  clothed  in  white,  and  wore  crowns  of  glory  on 
their  heads,  and  they  sang  hallelujah  to  him  who  had  been 
slain  for  them,  and  made  them  kings  and  priests  forever  in 
his  kingdom. 

"  While  thus  wandering  among  those  holy  mansions,  I 
met  a  spirit  crowned  with  honor,  —  Mary,  the  mother  of 
our  Lord.  She  was  specially  delighted  at  seeing  me, 
saying,  '  How  glad  I  am  that  you,  from  that  erring  people 
who  trust  in  me,  have  found  the  right  way  to  this  blessed 
place  !  Are  there  other  sisters  of  like  faith,  who  believe  in 
the  only  Mediator  ? '  When  I  told  her  that  there  were, 
she  embraced  me,  and  led  me  where  I  could  see  the  twelve 
apostles  of  the  Lamb.  They  were  all  seated  round  their 
Master,  just  as  they  used  to  be  on  earth ;  but  no  more 
debating  who  should  be  greatest,  for  now  they  ascribed  all 
greatness  to  their  King,  and  dwelt  in  perfect  love.  Among 
them  I  saw  Peter,  zealous  still,  but  with  a  holy  zeal.  I 
heard  him  ask,  'How  long  shall  those  precious  souls,  re- 
deemed by  thy  blood,  be  led  astray  ?  May  I  not  fly  on  the 
wings  of  love,  and  destroy  that  city  of  blasphemy  on  the 
seven  hills,  that  the  glory  may  be  thine?'  But  Jesus 
looked  on  him  with  an  eye  of  love,  and  said,  '  Simon,  son 
of  Jonas,  the  time  is  not  yet  come.'  Then  Peter  only 
replied,  '  Lord,  thou  knowest.     Thy  will  be  done.' 

"  While  in  this  joyful  state,  I  walked  in  the  green  pastures 
of  life.  I  went  round  about  the  holy  city,  and  counted  its 
towers.  They  were  all  of  purest  gold,  and  built  with  skill 
divine.  I  looked  from  the  top  of  one  of  them,  and  beheld 
the  sea  of  glass,  and  also  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  abyss, 
enough  to  see  that  the  enemies  of  our  God  were  all  beneath 
his  feet.    I  could  see  some,  once  my  friends  among  them  ; 


COMPOSITIONS.  257 

but  I  could  say,  '  Holy  and  just  art  thou,  O  Loi'd  God ; 
and  O,  wonderful  grace,  that  has  made  such  as  I  to 
differ.' 

"  But  while  thus  filled  with  praise,  and  delighting  myself 
in  that  ocean  of  love,  I  awoke,  yet  only  to  say,  'Blessed 
are  the  dead  that  die  in  the  Lord.'  Dear  friends,  let  us 
cleave  to  Christ  on  earth,  until  he  plants  our  feet  on  the 
Mount  Zion  above." 

The  next  composition  was  written  by  Nargis,  of  Geog 
Tapa,  in  1852.  It  is  an  account  of  Hannah,  the  mother 
of  Samuel,  and  gives  a  very  good  idea  of  the  Bible  knowl- 
edge of  the  pupils,  and  their  interest  in  Scripture  themes. 
The  allusions  to  the  condition  of  Nestorian  families,  illus- 
trate, and  are  illustrated  by,  the  statements  of  Chapter  I. 

"  About  three  thousand  years  ago,  the  family  of  Elkanah 
dwelt  on  the  hill  of  Zophim,  in  Palestine.  He  was  a  just 
man,  and  one  that  feared  God.  According  to  the  custom 
of  those  days,  he  had  two  wives,  Peninnah  and  Hannah. 
Let  us  turn  our  thoughts  to  Hannah,  for  every  memory  of 
her  is  pleasant.  She  had  no  son,  on  whom  she  could  look 
as  a  staff  of  joy  for  her  old  age.  Yet  Hannah  had  a  wor- 
thy portion  in  the  love  of  Elkanah,  which  flowed  unceas- 
ingly like  a  crystal  stream.  "Why  was  she  thus  loved? 
We  believe  because  of  the  lovely  spirit  which  she  had 
received  from  that  gentleness  of  the  eternal  Son  which 
maketh  great ;  and,  like  him,  her  voice  was  not  heard  in 
the  streets.  Instead  of  the  contentious  temper  of  the 
women  of  this  age,  we  find  in  her  a  meek  and  quiet 
spirit;  instead  of  pride,  humility;  and  instead  of  anger, 
j>atience ;  she  was  kind,  pleasant,  and  abounding  in  other 
graces.     Shall  not  such  a  woman  be  praised  ? 

"  Now  Elkanah  took  his  family  to  Shiloh,  to  worship  and 
22* 


258  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

feast  before  the  Lord.  But  the  envious  Peninnah  so 
grieved  Hannah  that  she  could  neither  eat  nor  drink. 
Soon,  however,  she  heard  the  sweet  tones  of  her  husband's 
voice.  Was  it  not  like  an  angel's  ?  saying,  '  Hannah,  why 
weepest  thou ?  and  why  eatest  thou  not?  and  why  is  thy 
heart  grieved  ?  Am  I  not  better  to  thee  than  ten  sons  ? ' 
When  she  heard  that  she  arose  and  ate.  Love  was 
rewarded  by  love.  She  would  not  grieve  Elkanah.  Un- 
like many  in  our  day,  she  was  obedient  to  her  husband, 
yielding  her  will  to  his,  and  clothed  with  humility.  They 
were  not  only  one  flesh,  but  one  spirit ;  arfd  they  walked 
together  in  the  valley  of  love  to  that  world  where  love  is 
made  perfect.  Now,  after  she  had  shown  her  love  by 
partaking  of  the  feast,*  may  we  not  suppose  that  she  arose 
and  whispered  to  Elkanah  to  know  if  he  would  approve 
of  her  intended  vow;  and  did  he  not  reply,  'Your  vow 
is  mine.'  Then  did  she  not  seek  a  corner  of  the  court 
where  she  might  pray?  Radiant  spot,  where  Hannah 
communed  with  God !  herself  a  bright  light  among  the 
women  of  that  age.  There,  in  bitterness  of  soul,  she  wept 
before  the  Lord,  and  obtained  his  blessing.  She  believed 
that  God  would  grant  her  request,  as  he  saw  best,  and  gave 
back  her  expected  son  to  the  Lord  to  be  his  forever.  Here 
was  true  faith.  She  left  all  with  God;  and  though,  like 
her  Saviour,  she  prayed  the  more  earnestly :  still  her  voice 
was  not  heard.  But  we  hear  the  voice  of  Eli:  '  How  long 
wilt  thou  be  drunken  ? '  '  O  Eli,  Eli,  why  speak  to  her 
thus  ?  She  was  of  thy  flock,  and  thou  shouldst  have  dis- 
tinguished her  from  other  women  round  about  her.' 

"  Bright  star  of  that  generation !     Blessed  art  thou  among 
the  daughters  of  Levi.     The  moving  of  thy  lips  is  like  the 

*  In  Oriental  families,  anger  is  shown  by  refusing  to  eat,  sometimes 
for  several  days. 


COMPOSITIONS.  259 

voice  of  the  dove.  There  was  a  blessing  in  thy  mouth, 
like  the  olive  leaf  of  Noah's  clove,  that  told  of  rest  from 
the  tossings  of  the  flood ;  for  thy  request  was  about  to  give 
rest  to  the  millions  of  Israel.  Blessed  art  thou,  daughter 
of  Zion.  Thou  soughtest  not  a  son  for  thy  own  glory, 
but  for  the  glory  of  thy  God. 

"  What  a  prayer  was  Hannah's  !  It  brought  a  deliverer 
and  a  prophet  to  Israel,  an  intercessor  and  a  preacher  to 
the  people  of  God.  May  the  daughters  of  Hannah  and 
the  sons  of  Elkanah  be  multiplied  among  our  people.  She 
is  a  mirror  into  which  Ave  may  look,  to  learn  how  to  for- 
sake our  evil  ways.  Let  us,  like  her,  build  up  the  kingdom 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

"Her  prayer  finished,  Hannah  returned  to  her  house. 
Her  sorrow  was  now  turned  into  joy,  and  her  happy  face 
was  like  the  opening  rose  of  the  morning.  No  wonder 
she  was  joyful.  The  will  of  the  Lord  was  her  will,  and 
what  evil  could  befall  her?  Blessed  Israel,  that  contains 
such  a  praying  soul. 

"  Time  passes  on,  and  the  answer  to  that  prayer  is  a  be- 
loved son.  The  grateful  mother  calls  him  Samuel — 'God 
heard.'  Her  full  heart  could  give  no  other  name  to  this 
child  of  prayer.  She  would  remember  ever,  Not  mine, 
but  God's.  And  now  the  childless  one  folds  in  her  arms  a 
child  of  the  covenant.  New  joy  fills  the  heart  of  Elkanah. 
Their  son  was  new  to  them  every  day;  yet  not  alone  as 
theirs,  but  His  who  answered  prayer. 

"The  time  now  draws  near  for  them  to  go  again  to 
Shiloh.  The  happy  father  does  not  forget  God  in  his 
mercies.  He  appears  before  the  Lord  with  his  thank  offer- 
ing —  a  noble  example  to  us.  He  asks  Hannah  to  go  with 
him :  not  in  a  voice  of  harsh  command,  but  in  love  he  said, 
'  Will  you  go  ? '  and  it  was,  doubtless,  a  gentle  voice  that 


260  WOMAN   AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 

answered, '  Not  now,  for  then  I  must  bring  Samuel  back 
with  me.  He  is  too  small  to  leave ;  but  when  he  is  weaned, 
I  will  bring  him,  that  he  may  appear  before  the  Lord, 
and  there  abide  forever.'  The  good  Elkanah  was  satisfied, 
saying,  '  Only  the  Lord  establish  his  word ; '  for  he  had 
not  forgotten  the  vow.  So  the  happy  Hannah  remained 
at  home  another  year,  and  taught  the  child  as  a  mother 
only  can. 

"  When  the  time  came  to  go  up  again  to  Shiloh,  Samuel 
was  probably  three  years  old.  That  praying  mother  did 
not  say,  '  He  is  small ;  let  him  stay  with  me  one  year 
longer.'  No  !  With  her  whole  heart  she  carried  him  to  the 
house  of  the  Lord,  to  abide  there ;  and  she  went  not  up 
empty,  saying,  'It  is  enough  that  I  give  my  son;'  but  in 
the  three  bullocks  we  find  the  burnt  offering,  the  sin  offer- 
ing, and  the  peace  offering,  and  in  her  son  the  first  fruits 
besides.  She  was  ready  to  say,  'In  all  things  I  am  a 
debtor  to  the  Lord.' 

"  Nor  did  she  come  in  pride  of  spirit,  saying  to  Eli,  '  You 
called  me  drunken,  while  offering  a  prayer  that  God  hath 
heard;'  but  in  all  humility  she  accosts  the  aged  priest,  say- 
ing, '  I  am  the  woman  that  stood  by  thee  here,  praying ; ' 
and  then,  leading  forward  the  child,  'for  this  child  I 
prayed,  and  the  Lord  hath  given  me  my  petition,  and  I 
have  lent  him  to  the  Lord.'  We  seem  to  see  little  Samuel 
approaching  Eli  reverently ;  and  then  turning  those  speak- 
ing eyes  to  his  mother,  he  says,  '  Is  this  my  father,  of  whom 
you  told  me,  and  with  whom  I  am  to  live?'  'Yes,  my 
child,  he  will  be  your  father.'  And  now  Eli  places  his 
hand  upon  the  head  of  Samuel,  saying,  'Blessed  art  thou, 
son  of  a  true  daughter  of  Levi.  The  Lord  bless  thee,  and 
make  thee  a  prophet  of  the  Most  High.' 

"Hannah   worships,   and    returns    to    her  home.      Her 


COMPOSITIONS.  261 

little  son  asks  not  to  go  with  her ;  for  he  has  been  taught 
that  he  is  the  Lord's,  and  is  to  abide  in  Shiloh.  What 
a  blessing  are  praying  mothers,  training  their  children 
for  God! 

"Still  she  does  not  forget  the  Lord's  Samuel.  Every 
year  she  goes  up  to  Shiloh,  with  her  husband,  and  as  often 
does  she  carry  for  the  little  prophet  a  coat,  made  by  a 
mother's  loving  hand.  She  did  not  say,  like  some  of  our 
mothers,  'If  he  is  in  the  school  of  the  prophets,  let  the 
prophets  clothe  him ; '  but  she  clothed  him  for  the  Lord's 
service,  and  he  comforted  Eli  as  he  was  never  comforted 
by  his  own  children.  Will  our  mothers  follow  the  example 
of  Hannah  ?  Should  a  voice  come  from  the  mountains 
to-day,  calling  for  preachers,  would  they  give  their  sons  to 
go  and  save  the  lost  ?  Blessed  are  those  mothers  who 
give  their  sons  to  be  soldiers  of  the  cross ;  who,  like  Han- 
nah, lead  the  way  to  the  throne  of  grace,  and  serve  God  in 
their  households. 

"  The  Lord  helped  Hannah  to  pray,  and  he  helped  her 
to  write  that  beautiful  song.  Her  words  are  golden  and 
full  of  wisdom.  It  is  fitting  to  call  her  a  mother  in  Israel. 
Deborah  sat  as  judge,  but  Hannah  gave  a  judge  and  teacher 
to  the  people  of  God.  Both  were  bright  stars,  but  where 
is  the  people  on  whom  they  shone  ?  The  chosen  people 
are  scattered.  Deborah,  perchance,  sleeps  under  the  oak 
of  judgment,  and  Hannah  on  the  hill  of  Zophim.  We 
love  to  think  that  her  son  stood  by  her  dying  bed  to  thank 
her  for  all  her  prayers  and  instructions,  and  see  her  rever- 
ently gathered  to  her  people. 

"  We  leave  thee,  mother  of  the  holy  prophet.  Thou  hast 
passed  through  this  valley  of  humiliation.  Thy  works  fol- 
low thee,  and  thy  God  hath  crowned  thee  with  glory  and 


262  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

honor.  Sweet  singer  of  Israel,  sing  on  in  heaven,  for  with 
thy  Saviour  thou  canst  never  sorrow  more.  Who  will  rise 
among  us  to  carry  forward  the  kingdom  of  our  Christ? 
Such  as  honor  the  Master  here,  he  will  honor  when  moth- 
ers in  Israel  see  their  sons  made  kings  and  priests  unto 
the  Lord  forever." 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

KIND   OFFICES. 

HOSPITALITY    OF  NESTORIANS. KINDNESS  OP  PUPILS. BATHING    FEET. 

LETTERS    OF    GOZEL,    HANEE,    SANUM    OP    GAWAR,    MUNNY,    RAHEEL, 

AND  MARTA. HOSHEBO. RAHEEL  TO  MRS.  FISKE. MOURNING  FOR 

THE  DEAD. NAZLOO. HOSHEBo's  BEREAVEMENT. DEATH  OF  MIS- 
SIONARY CHILDREN. LETTER  FROM  SARAH,   DAUGHTER  OF  JOSEPH. 

The  foregoing  pages  have  told  something  of  the  change 
that  grace  has  wrought  among  women  in  Persia.  Let  us 
now  look  at  some  points  in  that  change  more  carefully. 

The  Nestorians  are  noted  for  their  hospitality.  Kind- 
ness to  strangers  is  regarded  as  a  part  of  their  religion ; 
and  if,  after  bringing  out  the  choicest  of  their  stores,  it  is 
said,  even  in  a  strange  language,  "  How  can  I  eat  this  ? " 
or,  "  Who  could  endure  a  dish  like  that  ?' "  the  words  may 
be  unintelligible,  but  not  so  the  look  and  tone  of  the 
speaker.  Yet  even  such  treatment  often  only  calls  forth 
additional  efforts  to  please.  A  stranger  may  not  relish 
some  of  their  dishes.  Yet  a  spirit  of  kindness  would  be 
careful  not  to  let  this  appear.  In  the  Seminary,  the  pupils 
studied  how  to  please,  even  in  the  folding  of  a  table  nap- 
kin ;  and  the  kind-hearted  steward  was  perfectly  delighted 
when  reminded  that  the  pains  he  took  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  a  meal  was  so  much  service  to  Christ,  because  it 
strengthened  his  servants  to  labor  for  him. 

The  girls  were  very  kind  to  each  other.     When  any  one 

(263) 


264  WOMAN   AND   HER  SAVIOUR. 

was  sick,  her  companions  not  only  readily  performed  her 
share  of  domestic  work,  but  nursed  her  tenderly  besides. 
If  their  teachers  were  ill,  they  coveted  the  privilege  of 
attending  them  by  night  and  by  day.  It  may  comfort 
some  timid  one  to  know,  that  in  Oroomiah  Miss  Fiske  never 
had  a  missionary  sister  with  her  by  night  in  sickness ;  not 
that  they  were  backward  to  come,  but  the  services  of  the 
pupils  left  nothing  to  be  desired.  It  did  good  like  a 
medicine  to  see  those  girls,  once  coarse  and  uncouth,  show- 
ing even  kindness  in  a  way  offensive  to  refined  feelings,  now 
move  with  noiseless  step,  anticipating  every  wish.  They 
sought  to  conform  every  thing  to  the  home  tastes  of  their 
teachers ;  and  yet  there  was  nothing  of  that  show  of  effort 
that  says,  "  See  how  much  we  do  for  you."  They  seemed 
to  feel  that  they  could  not  do  too  much,  or  do  it  well 
enough.  If  Miss  Fiske  was  exhausted  and  feeble  during 
the  day,  they  might  say  nothing  at  the  time,  and  not 
trouble  her  even  to  answer  a  question ;  but  when  they  sup- 
posed she  was  ready  to  retire,  there  would  be  a  gentle 
knock  on  the  door,  sometimes  on  more  than  one  door,  and 
then,  with  a  "  Teacher,  you  looked  tired  to-day.  Shall  we 
come  in  and  bathe  your  feet  ?  The  water  is  warm,  and 
every  thing  ready,"  their  loving  service  would  not  cease,  till 
every  thing  was  in  its  place,  and  they  had  put  out  the  light 
after  she  retired. 

Woman  there,  as  in  the  days  of  our  Saviour,  still  bathes 
the  feet  of  the  guest  whom  she  wishes  to  honor.  And 
sometimes,  when  stooping  over  them,  she  rubs  them  gently 
with  her  loosely-flowing  hair — not  as  a  substitute  for  a 
towel,  but  as  a  token  of  kindly  welcome.  This  privilege 
belongs  to  the  oldest  daughter  of  the  family ;  and  the  cus- 
tom once  liable  to  perversion,  now  shines  with  new  beauty, 
as  the  expression  of  Christian  love.     He  who  once  accepted 


KIND   OFFICES.  265 

the  service  in  his  own  person,  will  hereafter  say,  to  many  a 
daughter  of  Chaldea,  "  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto  one  of 
the  least  of  these  my  brethren,  ye  did  it  unto  me." 

Their  tender  sympathy  with  the  afflicted  was  not  con- 
fined to  their  own  household.  In  January,  1857,  Miss 
Fiske  was  absent  at  Seir,  assisting  in  taking  carle  of  Mr. 
Stoddard  in  his  last  illness ;  and  from  a  number  of  letters 
written  to  her,  at  that  time,  by  her  pupils,  we  select  the 
folio  whig : — 

January  1st,  1S57. 

Many  of  your  flock  have  observed  this  as  a  day  of  fast- 
ing and  prayer ;  and  all  have  looked  on  it  as  a  blessed  day. 
The  pleasant  voice  of  prayer  has  been  heard  during  all  its 
hours,  and  it  seems  as  if  the  Saviour  was  about  to  come 
among  us  with  great  power.  I  trust  that  he  will  work  in 
many  hearts  by  the  Holy  Spirit.  We  greatly  desire  to 
have  you  here ;  but  again,  with  all  our  hearts,  we  wish  you 
to  do  for  the  sick  one  whom  we  love.  Yes,  if  each  pupil 
were  to  write  to  you,  all  would  say,  we  wish  you  to  remain, 
and  do  all  you  can  for  him  ;  and  may  he  be  raised  up  again 
to  labor  for  our  poor  people.  Give  our  love  to  Mrs.  Stod- 
dard, and  tell  her  we  are  glad  to  have  the  one  we  greatly 
love,  with  her  at  this  time. 

Your  daughter,  Gozel. 

January  2d,  1857. 
My  heart  is  drawn  towards  you  all  the  time ;  but  I  thank 
God  that  he  has  given  you  strength  to  do  for  our  beloved 
brother  Mr.  Stoddard.  I  am  very  much  distressed  when  I 
think  of  him,  and  can  only  say,  "  The  will  of  the  Lord  be 
done."  I  greatly  desired  to  hear  your  voice  yesterday.  It 
Avas  indeed  a  blessed  day.  Give  my  love  to  Mrs.  Stod- 
dard, and  though  it  is  hard  for  her  to  bear  these  bitter 
23 


266  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

pains,  tell  her    to  try  to  trust  the  Lord  of  our  beloved 
brother. 

Peace  be  to  you.  Hanee. 

The  next  is  written  by  a  graduate,  who  was  then  on  a 
visit  at  the  Seminary  :  — 

January  3d,  1857. 
I  cannot  tell  you  what  great  anxiety  and  anguish  I  have 
for  Mr.  Stoddard.  He  has  won  my  whole  heart  by  taking 
so  much  pains  for  my  dear  companions,  and  particularly 
for  Elisha.  I  did  not  think  he  would  be  taken  from  us. 
This  trial  seems  to  me  heavier  than  losing  Elisha  and 
Jonathan  (her  children,  who  died  by  poison),  for  it  is  not 
only  a  loss  to  his  dear  family,  but  also  to  this  band  of 
stranger  missionaries,  and  a  dreadful  desolation  to  our 
poor  people.  May  the  Lord  see  how  great  is  the  harvest, 
and  how  few  the  laborers.  I  cannot  write  more ;  my  eyes 
fail  because  of  my  tears.  Give  my  tenderest  love  to  dear 
Mrs.  Stoddard.  I  know  her  sorrows  in  such  trying  days; 
would  that  I  could  help  her. 

From  your  truly  afflicted  pupil, 

Sanum. 

The  following  was  written  the  clay  after  the  death  of 
Mr.  Stoddard,  which  took  place  the  22d  of  January,  and 
refers  to  that  sad  occurrence :  — 

January  23d,  1857. 

What  bitter  intelligence  comes  to  us  these  days!  —  the 
taking  away  of  those  who  carried  us  in  the  arms  of  love  to 
the  blood-stained  cross  of  Christ.  Truly,  my  mother,  these 
afflictions  fall  very  heavily  on  our  heads.  The  guides  of 
our  souls  are  cut  off  from  us.     What  shall  we  do  ? 

Dearly  loved  sister  Mrs.  Stoddard,  sorrow  and  mourning 


KIND   OFFICES.  267 

are  ours.  There  is  hope  that  you  will  soon  meet  the  orna- 
ment of  your  life.  But  in  his  school  and  in  ours  are  those 
for  whom  there  is  no  hope  that  they  will  ever  see  him. 
Wounded  sister,  blessed  is  the  heavenly  pilgrim  who  has 
spent  his  life  in  a  strange  land,  and  been  a  well  of  living- 
water  to  many  thirsty  souls.  I  know  this  separation  is 
bitter  to  you  ;  but  there  is  consolation  for  you,  for  it  is  not 
eternal.     But  what  shall  I  say  of  our  poor  people  ? 

O,  how  much  more  than  any  of  you  knew  Ave  loved  that 
dear  brother.  It  was  a  quarter  past  three  o'clock  this 
morning  when  your  letter  reached  us  (Miss  Fiske's).  I 
handed  it  to  Miss  Rice,  and  never  saw  such  a  bitter  night 
except  that  in  which  my  father  died.  I  did  not  sleep  till 
almost  dawn;  and  when  I  slept,  I  saw  the  loved  one 
standing  in  Miss  Rice's  room,  his  fice  shining  like  the 
morning  star.  Both  his  hands  were  raised  to  heaven, 
when  suddenly  he  stooped  and  looked  in  my  face.  I  said, 
"  O,  you  are  not  dead!"  He  answered,  "No!"  and  I 
cried  aloud,  "  O,  Mr.  Stoddard  is  not  dead  ! "  and  my  own 
voice  awoke  me.  How  favored  those  of  you  are  who  see 
the  face  of  our  beloved  friend  ! 

Munny. 

Still  later,  she  writes  to  her  teacher,  who  was  again  at 
Seir,  during  the  sickness  of  Harriette  Stoddard,  whose 
death  occurred  March  16th,  1857. 

Though  it  is  a  time  of  anguish,  yet,  blessed  be  God,  he 
has  given  us  One  to  whom  we  may  look  for  comfort.  A 
thousand  thanks  to  the  Saviour  that  he  does  not  chastise  us 
by  taking  away  the  Holy  Spirit.  Though  the  discipline  is 
bitter,  yet  it  is  mingled  with  lovej  in  that  the  Lord  comes 
by  death  among  his  own,  and  by  his  Spirit  to  those  who 


268  WOMAN   AND   HER  SAVIOUR. 

have  not  known  him,  that  he  may  make  them  his  own  also. 
What  grief  would  the  lovers  of  the  Lord  have,  if  you  now 
sat  by  the  bedside  of  a  sister  of  whom  we  had  no  evidence 
that  her  heart  was  purified  by  a  Saviour's  blood  ?  If  you 
are  so  distressed  about  one  whom  you  trust  your  Father  is 
taking  to  rest  in  the  bosom  of  his  Son,  how  would  you  feel 
if  she  were  one  of  those  who,  as  soon  as  the  breath  left 
her  body,  would  dwell  with  everlasting  burnings!  How 
thankful  we  should  be  that  it  is  not  the  bed  of  one  of 
these ! 

I  have  never  seen  such  a  trying  year;  but  I  do  not 
believe  it  is  for  the  harm  of  those  that  fear  the  Lord.  It 
only  fulfils  the  promise,  "  Whom  the  Lord  loveth  he  chas- 
teneth."  O  that  the  gentle  voice  of  Jesus  might  be  heard, 
whispering,  "  Daughter,  I  say  unto  thee,  arise ! "  Who 
knows  but,  if  our  faith  were  as  Christ  would  have  it,  he 
would  call  this  sister  back  to  life,  though  now  so  near  to 
death  !  But  your  Father  knows  what  is  for  your  good,  and 
you  know  that  here  he  often  gives  anguish  to  those  who 
love  him,  that  they  may  be  exceedingly  joyful  with  him 
hereafter.  The  Lord  grant  that  these  afflictions  do  not 
harden  our  hearts. 

I  have  conversed  and  prayed  with  all  the  younger  girls, 
save  two.  Eleven  say  that  they  are  resolved  to  follow 
Christ ;  but  I  fear  lest  the  vineyards  and  the  cotton  fields 
do  not  testify  hereafter  that  they  have  walked  with  God. 
It  is  very  pleasant  to  me  to  sit  down  by  them  and  ask 
them  of  their  state. 

Yesterday  (Sabbath)  was  a  delightful  day,  but  it  seemed 
very  short.     The  Lord  help  us  in  our  weakness,  and  cause 
the  dark  clouds  to  rise  from  all  your  friends.     The  God  of 
consolation    heal  the  wounded  spirit  of  your  poor  sister,' 
Mrs.    Stoddard.      I   have   never   seen   the    death   of  the 


KIND    OFFICES.  2G9 

righteous  —  only  by  heaving  have  I  heard  of  it.     The  Lord 

be  with  you  more  and  more. 

Mmronr. 

Others,  written  during  the  same  period,  are  as  follows :  — 

Sorrower  for  us,  who  hast  also  become  as  a  stranger  to 
us!  Now  we  know  your  anxious  love  for  us.  We  have  no 
doubt  that  He  who  directs  not  according  to  man's  thoughts 
has  directed  you  to  be  away  from  us  much  this  year.  We 
had  thought  that  it  would  be  a  very  pleasant  year ;  but  the 
Lord  has  ordered  it  as  he  pleases,  and  let  us  say,  "  His  will 
be  done."  We  know  that  he  does  all  for  our  profit.  What 
a  comfort  this  is  to  us  who  have  given  our  all  to  the 
Saviour  to  do  with  us  as  he  will ! 

It  is  very  hard  to  look  at  your  vacant  place;  but  we 
thank  God  it  is  not  made  vacant  by  death.  Though  not 
with  us  in  body,  we  believe  that  you*  are,  in  spirit,  and  we 
rejoice  that  you  can  do  as  few  can,  for  the  sick.  The  Lord 
be  with  you,  Avho  are  the  second  in  anguish,  and  strengthen 
your  weak  body.  The  prayer  of  your  pupils  is  ever  for 
your  life.  We  have  no  words  with  which  to  comfort  you; 
we  can  only  say,  "  The  Saviour,  with  whom  you  are  better 
acquainted  than  we  are,  give  you  comfort." 

What  can  we  say  to  you,  dear  Mrs.  Stoddard,  who  are 
shrouded  in  a  cloud  that  is  very  dark  ?  We  know  it  is  very 
hard  for  you  to  look  on  the  great  vacancy  that  is  made  in 
your  dwelling.  But  do  trust  in  the  Lord;  he  will  bring 
light  out  of  darkness.  We  feel  for  you,  plunged  in  a  sea 
of  sorrow,  in  the  deep  places  of  sighs.  Our  eyes  are  every 
hour  upon  the  door,  expecting  what  we  shall  hear  from 
Harriette ;  and  our  prayer  is,  that  if  it  can  be  the  Lord's 
will,  she  may  be  brought  back  to  you ;  but  every  letter 
increases  our  anxiety.  We  understand  not  the  Lord's 
23* 


270  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

dealings  this  year,  except  this :  we  know  that  he  does  all 
things  for  the  profit  of  our  souls. 

Raheel. 

Marta. 

The  writer  of  the  following  was  at  that  time  a  teacher 
in  the  Seminary,  and  a  striking  illustration  of  the  elevating 
power  of  a  good  education.  Formerly  a  female  who  was 
either  lame  or  deformed  was  so  despised,  that  she  could 
never  hope  to  be  the  head  of  a  family :  she  was  doomed  to 
drag  through  a  miserable  life,  the  object  of  universal 
neglect.  But  Hoshebo,  though  a  fall  in  early  youth  had 
shattered  her  ankle,  and  the  ignorance  of  native  surgeons 
made  her  a  cripple  for  life,  yet  because  of  her  education  was 
as  much  esteemed  as  before  she  would  have  been  despised, 
and  is  now  the  wife  of  Meerza,  our  native  helper  at  Sara- 
Ion.  Miss  Fiske  might  have  filled  up  her  school  with  such, 
but,  with  a  wise  foresight,  selected  her  pupils  with  an  eye 
to  their  future  usefulness  among  the  people,  as  well  as  their 
own  personal  advantage. 

When  I  understood  from  Miss  Rice,  that  you  would  not 
meet  your  loved  flock  next  Sabbath,  I  felt  that  I  could  not 
let  all  your  absence  pass  without  giving  you  an  account  of 
my  charge.  I  have  been  sitting  with  them,  as  I  do  eveiy 
1  Saturday  evening,  to  search  out  their  spiritual  state  ;  and  I 
have  good  news  to  tell  you  of  one  for  whom  you,  and  also 
others,  have  been  very  anxious  —  Esli,  of  Takka.  I  noticed 
her  changed  all  this  week ;  but  last  night  I  saw  a  great 
breaking  down  under  Mr.  Cochran's  preaching.  She  came 
out  in  anguish  of  soul.  I  then  saw  her  alone,  and  found 
her  contrition  still  increasing.  I  know  this  is  not  evidence 
that  she  has   passed  from  death  unto  life ;    but  I  rejoice 


KIND   OFFICES.  271 

that  she  is  visited  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  I  trust  she  will 
become  a  Christian.  I  am  anxious  for  her  and  for  all  the 
girls  of  my  room.  I  look  for  the  gentle  shower  that  shall 
make  the  withered  plants  like  the  fresh  springing  grass. 
Though  you  are  absent,  we  know  well  that  you  carry  every 
one  of  your  flock  in  the  arms  of  love  to  Him  who  can  do 
all  things,  whether  you  are  far  away  or  near  to  us.  The 
girls  send  up  many  petitions  for  Harriette.  We  fear  much 
when  we  recall  your  former  going  to  Seir.  How  glad 
should  we  be  to  hear  of  indications  that  she  will  recover. 
Peace  and  love  to  Mrs.  Stoddard. 

Your  affectionate  Hoshebo. 

More  than  a  year  after  this,  Miss  Fiske  left  Oroomiah, 
and  at  Salinas,  on  her  way  home,  met  her  dear  pupil 
Sanum,  the  wife  of  Joseph.  Having  no  other  place  for 
devotion,  they  retired  together  to  an  orchard  for  the  part- 
ing prayer.  In  a  subsequent  letter,  Sanum  thus  beautifully 
alludes  to  it : — 

"  O,  the  remembrance  of  that  bitter  separation !  and  of 
those  prayers,  when  the  green  grass  was  watered  with  our 
tears !  How  could  I  have  borne  it,  but  for  the  recollection 
of  Him  who  prayed  and  wept  in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane, 
and  whose  kneeling  upon  the  tender  grass  was  for  the  com- 
fort of  our  souls ! " 

The  gratitude  of  the  pupils  to  their  teacher  extended 
also  to  her  aged  mother.  Seldom  have  they  written  a 
letter  to  Miss  Fiske,  in  America,  without  its  message  of 
kind  remembrance  to  the  parent  who  gave  up  her  daughter, 
as  Hannah  gave  up  Samuel,  to  be  the  Lord's  ;  and  several 
wrote  letters  to  her  separately.  From  among  these  we 
select  the  following,  written  by  Raheel  (Rachel),  of  Geog 
Tapa,  Sept.  10th,  1859:  — 


272  WOMAN   AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 

My  dear  Grandmother  Hannah:  Though  I  have 
never  seen  you,  yet  I  must  write  to  you,  for  I  love  all  Miss 
Fiske's  friends  as  I  do  my  own,  and  especially  yourself. 
I  want  to  thank  you  for  all  your  love  to  me.  Blessings 
have  thus  reached  me  which  were  not  given  to  my  early 
sisters.  When  it  was  a  great  reproach  for  a  girl  to  learn 
to  read,  God  had  mercy  on  us  in  that  he  poured  such  love 
into  your  heart  as  made  you  willing  to  send  your  daughter 
eight  thousand  miles,  by  sea  and  land,  to  show  our  people 
the  great  mystery  that  had  been  previously  hidden  from 
their  eyes  —  that  there  is  salvation  for  women.  They 
used  to  dwell  much  on  those  words  of  Solomon,  "  One  man 
among  a  thousand  have  I  found,  but  a  woman  among  all 
these  have  I  not  found  ; "  but  now  they  see  their  mistake, 
and  that  Christ  died  for  women  also.  Many  thanks  for 
your  patience  all  these  years.  I  know  something  of  it  from 
the  feelings  of  my  own  mother,  for  if  she  did  not  see  me  for 
five  months  during  term  time,  she  would  mourn  that  she 
had  not  seen  her  daughter  for  so  long. 

It  was  certainly  a  sacrifice  for  Christ  to  come  into  this 
world,  and  deny  himself;  and  it  was  also  a  sacrifice  for  the 
Father  to  send  his  Son,  when  he  knew  all  the  sorrows  and 
wounds  there  were  in  the  cup  which  he  was  to  drink  in  this 
world  of  sin. 

You  will  see  your  daughter  much  changed  from  what 
she  was  fifteen  years  ago ;  but  I  am  confident  that  when 
that  day  comes,  which  will  be  longer  than  any  day  we  have 
seen  in  this  world,  —  when  He  whom  the  Jews  could  not 
bear  to  hear  called  king,  shall  sit  upon  his  throne,  judging 
the  world,  — then  all  troubles,  sorrows,  and  separation  from 
friends  will  appear  to  the  Christian  as  the  small  dust  of  the 
balance  ;  and  I  think  that  it  will  especially  seem  so  to  you, 
when  you  see  a  band  of  Nestorian  girls  on  the  right  hand 


KIND  OFFICES.  273 

of  the  Redeemer,  "whom,  you,  through  your  daughter,  were 
the  means  of  bringing  there.  Yes,  justly  might  they  have 
been  left  to  dwell  with  Satan  forever;  but  instead  of  that, 
they  will  have  joyful  life  with  Christ  in  his  kingdom. 

I  can  never  repay  your  love ;  but  there  is  one  so  rich 
that  he  can  give  you  what  man  cannot,  and  I  ask  him  to 
reward  you  in  heaven. 

Is  there  another  Miss  Fiske  in  your  country?  We  can 
hardly  believe  it.  I  hope  that  I  shall  see  her  again,  but  it 
is  difficult  for  me  to  expect  it. 

It  is  very  pleasant  for  me  to  write  to  friends,  and  espe- 
cially to  my  own  dear  mother,  Miss  Fiske.  I  should  never 
be  weary  if  I  wrote  to  her  every  day ;  but  I  thought  that 
this  time  she  would  like  to  have  me  write  to  you,  and  I 
trust  that  you  will  live  to  receive  it. 

Please  give  my  love  to  Martha,  and  also  to  Mrs.  Stoddard 
and  Sarah,  and  tell  them  that  our  hearts  are  with  them. 

From  your  granddaughter,  whom  you  have  not  seen, 

Raheel. 

No  reader  of  the  Bible  needs  any  description  of  Oriental 
mourning  for  the  dead.  The  rent  garments  and  sackcloth 
(2  Sam.  hi.  31),  loud  weeping  and  wailing  (ver.  32),  pro- 
tracted lamentation  as  for  Jacob  (Gen.  1. 10  and  11),  and  for 
Moses  (Deut.  xxxiv.  8),  and  the  hired  mourning  women 
(Jer.  ix.  17,  and  Matt.  ix.  23),  were  to  be  found  nowhere  in 
greater  perfection  than  among  the  Nestorians.  It  is  very 
difficult  for  us,  in  this  land,  to  realize  the  force  of  such 
habits;  but  it  required  much  grace  to  break  over  them; 
and  even  now,  when  the  Christian  heart  grows  cold,  it  is 
apt  to  return  to  the  old  ways.  One  day,  in  1845,  the 
whole  school  were  going  to  attend  a  funeral.  When  the 
time  came,  one  of  the   pupils  requested  to   be   excused. 


274  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

"Why?  are  you  sick?"  "No."  "Why  not  go,  then?" 
"I  do  not  wish  to  tell.  But  another  said,  "May  I  tell  you 
alone?"  "It  will  be  a  great  shame  if  we  do  not  all  weep. 
We  all  think  we  can  do  it  but  Sarah,  and  we  are  afraid 
her  tears  will  not  come ;  and  so,  lest  she  bring  reproach 
upon  us,  we  do  not  want  her  to  go."  The  heart  of  the 
teacher  sunk  within  her,  as  she  found  that  she  was  about 
to  lead  a  company  of  mourning  women  to  the  funeral. 
She  asked  them  how  they  could  make  themselves  weep. 
"  O,  when  we  go  to  such  places,  we  call  to  mind  all  the  sad 
things  we  ever  knew,  and  so  we  weep ;  but  if  the  tears  do 
not  come,  we  leave  very  quickly." 

But  grace  has  wrought  a  great  change  in  this  matter 
also.  In  the  journal  of  Yonan,  we  find  the  following 
entry :  "  At  the  close  of  afternoon  service,  I  had  a  Bible 
class  with  the  women :  this  was  followed  by  a  prayer  meet- 
ing. Then  Munny  came  to  see  me :  she  has  buried  a 
little  child  recently.  It  is  a  matter  of  joy  to  me,  that  these 
women  can  lift  up  their  eyes  and  see  their  children  with 
the  dear  Saviour,  and  feel  that  they  have  treasures  in 
heaven.  I  asked  her,  'Did  you  ever  do  any  thing  for  your 
little  girl  that  you  remember  now  with  gratitude  ?'  'Many 
times  I  carried  her  with  me  to  the  stable,  and  knelt  with 
her  upon  the  straw  in  the  manger,  to  ask  blessings  on  her.' 
'  Christ  was  in  the  manger,  and  perhaps  there  your  daugh- 
ter was  consecrated  to  him.' " 

In  another  place,  we  find  him  asking  Esli, — the  wife  of 
Joseph,  of  whom  he  had  just  said,  "Her  little  daughter  has 
died  recently,  and  her  heart  is  broken,"  —  "When  your 
child  died,  did  you  weep  and  wail  as  your  people  do  ?"  and 
she  answered,  "  No." 

Nazloo,  of  Vizierawa,  a  pupil  who  hoped  she  took  Christ 
for  her  Saviour  in  1849,  and  graduated  in  1853,  within  less 


KIND    OFFICES.  275 

than  a  year  after  her  conversion  was  summoned  to  the 
death-bed  of  her  uncle ;  and  scarcely  had  she  returned  to 
her  studies  before  she  was  called  to  the  bedside  of  her 
father.  For  three  days  she  watched  with  him  incessantly, 
by  day  and  by  night.  Those  who  were  present  were 
greatly  moved  by  her  tender  care  of  him.  During  the 
whole  of  his  sickness,  she  never  failed  to  improve  every 
opportunity  to  point  him  to  Christ.  Even  to  the  last,  she 
begged  him  to  look  to  the  Lamb  of  God  and  live.  And 
when  he  died,  with  his  head  resting  on  her  hand,  though 
she  had  no  evidence  that  her  efforts  were  successful,  her 
wonderful  calmness,  under  so  severe  a  stroke,  led  many  to 
feel  that  she  possessed  a  source  of  consolation  to  which 
they  w^re  strangers.  But  her  cup  was  not  yet  full.  A 
few  days  passed,  and  she  hastened  once  more  to  her  af- 
flicted home,  to  find  her  mother  entering  the  dark  valley. 
Others  wept  aloud,  but  she  pointed  the  dying  one  to 
Jesus ;  and  supporting  her  in  her  loving  arms,  she  seemed 
to  plant  her  feet  in  the  cold  waters  of  the  river  of  death, 
and  commit  her  departing  mother  into  the  hands  of  Him 
who  could  bear  her  safely  to  the  other  side.  So  sensible 
was  her  mother  of  the  benefit  she  and  hers  had  received 
from  the  school,  that  when  the  teacher  came  in,  she  beck- 
oned her  to  her  side,  and  said,  with  difficulty,  "God  is 
not  willing  I  should  be  a  mother  to  my  daughters  any 
longer.  I  commit  them  to  you :  they  are  yours."  She  soon 
fell  asleep,  as  was  hoped,  in  Jesus.  After  this,  Nazloo  was 
in  the  school  most  of  the  time  till  her  marriage.  As  a 
teacher,  no  one  could  have  been  more  faithful :  her  re- 
ligious experience  was  very  marked,  and  she  labored 
wisely  for  souls.  She  still  lives  to  show  how  God  can 
make  grievous  afflictions  yield  the  peaceable  fruit  of  right- 
eousness in  his  people. 


276  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

In  this  connection,  we  cannot  omit  another  letter,  writ- 
ten by  Hoshebo  to  her  teacher,  in  1860,  on  the  death  of 
her  son  Absalom.  It  is  dated  Saralon,  where  she  and  her 
husband  Meerza  reside. 

Dear  Mother:  I  received  your  letter  just  before  I 
received  a  bitter  stroke  from  the  never-erring  hand  of  my 
heavenly  Father.  Many  thanks  for  your  loving  remem- 
brances of  me.  I  cannot  reward  you  for  one  of  a  thousand 
of  the  good  things  that  you  have  shown  me,  so  unworthy. 
I  have  many  thoughts  of  you,  and  of  those  pleasant  days 
that  we  passed  together  in  that  blessed  school.  I  am  very 
sad  when  I  think  that  perhaps  I  may  never,  in  this  house 
of  my  pilgrimage,  see  your  face,  which  makes  others  to  be 
exceeding  glad. 

Dear  mother :  like  a  daughter  distressed,  who  would  find 
a  little  rest  by  falling  into  the  kind  arms  of  her  mother,  I 
come  to  tell  you  what  has  pierced  the  heart  of  your  poor 
child.  It  is  true  that  you  are  so  far  from  me  that  I  cannot 
lean  on  your  kind  breast,  and  let  you  lead  me  in  prayer  to 
the  Father  who  has  afflicted  me  ;  but  with  a  feeling  like 
that  I  write  you.  Beloved,  you  used  to  write  me  that  I 
must  take  good  care  of  my  dear  and  tender  babe,  Awesha- 
lom.  Perhaps  I  did  not  fully  do  as  you  told  me.  But  one 
thing  I  know:  the  Lord,  who  loves  little  children,  was  not 
willing  that  I  should  keep  him.  And  I  believe  that  he  will 
take  better  care  of  my  dear  child  than  I  could.  You  must 
know  that  I  am  deeply  wounded  and  crushed  by  the  death 
of  Aweshalom.  My  tears  cease  not.  His  first  birth  was 
October  14,  1858 ;  his  second  and  spiritual  one,  April  23, 
1860.  His  life  with  us  was  a  pleasant  one,  and  he  made 
our  lives  very  sweet  and  delightful ;  but  now  he  has'  gone 
to  heaven,  while  we  remain  on  the  earth.     He  lives  the 


KIND   OFFICES.  277 

new  life,  while  we  die  daily.  He  is  strong,  while  I  am 
weak.  He  has  grown  beautiful,  in  the  light  and  image  of 
the  Saviour,  while  I  am  pining  away.  If  you  have  heard 
what  a  child  he  was,  you  will  not  wonder  at  my  sickness 
since  his  death.  My  husband  is  greatly  afflicted  in  the 
death  of  this,  our  first,  our  only  child.  We  find  no  com- 
fort except  in  casting  our  wounded  souls  at  the  feet  of  the 
Saviour,  who  was  tempted  that  he  might  heal  our  wounds. 
It  seems,  sometimes,  as  if  our  comforters  were  far  from  us ; 
but  our  Saviour  is  very  near  to  help  and  comfort. 

Our  work  has  been  as  last  year.  My  husband  has 
taught  in  the  Seminary  at  Seir,  coming  here  to  preach  on 
the  Sabbath.  I  have  taught  a  school  of  eighteen  boys  and 
girls  here.  Before  vacation,  my  babe  sickened,  and  rested 
in  Jesus.  Since  that  time,  I  have  had  fever,  and  am  still 
very  weak. 

Five  in  the  village,  besides  ourselves,  are  communicants. 
My  father  and  brother  are  among  them.  I  trust  that  my 
mother  and  brother's  wife  will  soon  unite  with  us.  The 
work  of  the  Lord  in  the  village  goes  forward  better  than 
formerly.  I  try  to  talk  and  pray  with  the  women  alone, 
and  they  are  more  ready  to  have  me  do  it,  which  makes 
me  to  rejoice  in  the  Lord. 

Give  my  loving  peace  to  my  dear  grandmother  Hannah. 
Though  with  the  eyes  of  this  mortal  body  we  have  not 
seen  each  other,  nor  have  I  any  hope  that  we  shall,  the 
Lord  her  God  help  me,  that  we  may  meet  on  the  blessed 
hill  of  Zion  above.  I  believe,  my  mother,  that  you  will 
remember  your  weak,  unworthy  lamb,  when  you  bow  before 
the  throne  of  mercy  and  grace.  Perhaps  this  is  the  last 
letter  you  will  receive  from  me,  for  death  seems  very  near. 
Receive  loving  peace  from  the  priest  [her  husband]. 

Your  true  daughter,  Hoshebo. 

24 


278  •     WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

Jesus  has  seemed  to  be  almost  bodily  present,  taking  up 
these  lambs  in  his  arms;  and  the  mothers  have  not  feared, 
for  they  felt  sure  that  under  such  a  Guardian  it  was  well 
with  their  children. 

Perhaps  bereaved  missionary  mothers  in  Persia  do  not 
realize  how  much  their  patient  suffering  has  done  for  their 
poor  Nestorian  sisters.  The  short  lives  of  those  twenty 
missionary  children,  who  lie  in  Persian  graves,  were  a 
precious  offering  to  Christ.  They  were  all  missionaries, 
and  did  not  go  home  till  their  work  was  done.  Each  one 
had  a  place  to  fill  among  the  instrumentalities  employed 
by  the  Master  to  promote  his  kingdom  in  Persia.  There 
was  no  waste  in  the  breaking  of  those  alabaster  boxes  of 
precious  ointment.  Nestorian  parents  looked  on,  to  learn 
how  to  lay  their  children  into  the  arms  of  Jesus,  and  become 
more  Christ-like  themselves.  No  years  of  mature  toil  have 
been  more  blessed  than  the  years  of  those  thus  early  called 
home ;  and  in  this  truth  their  bereaved  parents  may  find 
abundant  consolation.  There  are  influences  too  deep  and 
silent  to  be  fully  understood ;  but  they  are  none  the  less 
real  and  powerful ;  and  the  mother  who  to-day  misses  the 
little  feet,  the  loving  eyes,  and  the  pleasant  voice,  which 
God  had  lent  to  gladden  her  earthly  home  for  a  season,  may 
rejoice  in  the  assurance  that  her  loving  submission  to  a 
Father's  hand  is  teaching  a  lesson  to  the  people  whom  she 
loves,  such  as  they  could  never  learn  from  words. 

During  the  revival  of  1846,  a  little  child  of  Dr.  Perkins 
died ;  and  as  the  missionaries  laid  it  away,  in  the  hope  of  a 
glorious  resurrection,  it  helped  them  to  point  others  to  him 
who  is  the  Resurrection  and  the  Life.  It  was  buried  on  a 
snowy  Sabbath  day,  and  the  faces  of  the  young  converts, 
who  stood  in  silence  around  the  grave,  showed  that  to 
them   the   associations   of  death  were   no  longer  fearful. 


KIND    OFFICES.  279 

Turning  away  from  the  cemetery,  Mr.  Stoddard,  feeling 
that  he  could  not  be  separated  from  those  young  disciples 
even  in  death,  said,  "  Do  you  not  hope  that  you  shall  rest 
here  to  rise  with  these  to  everlasting  life  ?  "  *  Little  did 
they  who  heard  hirn  know  how  soon  that  cemetery  at  Seir 
would  become  more  sacred  as  his  own  resting  place. 

Before  leaving  this  topic,  we  insert  a  letter  from  Sarah, 
daughter  of  Joseph,  a  former  pupil  in  the  Seminary,  and 
the  oldest  of  four  sisters.  The  death  of  little  Deborah 
seemed  to  draw  her  heart  very  closely  to  her  Saviour,  and 
she  now  sleeps  by  her  side,  doubtless  understanding  better 
the  meaning  of  those  arms  of  love  that  here  she  believed 
"folded  her  little  sister  in  his  own  bosom." 

"  What  word  of  fitting  love  can  I  write,  and  how  tell 
you  what  God  has  done?  We  are  afflicted,  for  he  has 
taken  from  us  our  dear  little  Deborah.  She  was  only  two 
years  and  seven  months  old.  We  mourn,  and  yet  are  com- 
forted ;  for  we  know  that  He  who  loves  little  children  has 
taken  her  into  his  own  arms,  that  we  may  love  him  more 
and  better  praise  his  glorious  name.  She  did  not  leave 
us  to  go  to  a  stranger.  The  dear  Saviour,  we  think,  has 
made  her  happier  than  we  could ;  and  now  we  dwell  much 
on  this  scripture,  '  Prepare  to  meet  thy  God.'  Deborah 
was  very  sick,  and  suffered  much ;  but  when  she  died, 
there  was  a  pleasant  smile  on  her  little  face.  Then  she 
rested  from  sorrow,  and  Jesus  folded  the  little  lamb  in  his 
own  bosom." 

*  See  Nestorian  Biography,  page  242. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

PROGRESS   AND    PROMISE. 

BENEVOLENCE,  EARLY  MANIFESTATION  OF.  —  PROGRESS.  —  REVIVAL  OF 
BENEVOLENCE  IN  APRIL,  1861.  — INTEREST  OF  PARENTS  FOR  THE 
CONVERSION  OF  THEIR  CHILDREN. —  PEACE  IN  FAMILIES. RE- 
FORMED MARRIAGES. ORDINATIONS. COMMUNION  SEASONS.  —  MISS 

RICE  AND  MISS    BEACH.  CONCLUSION. 

The  pupils  were  early  trained  to  form  habits  of  self-deny- 
ing benevolence.  In  1844,  the  day  scholars  made  as  many  as 
fifty  garments  for  poor  children.  Early  in  1845,  when  some 
mountaineers  came  to  beg  money  for  their  ragged  children, 
the  question  was  put,  "  Who  will  give  her  own  clothes 
and  wear  poorer  ones  till  she  can  make  others."  Many 
responded  at  once,  and  she  who  gave  her  best  dress  was 
deemed  the  most  happy.  Some  even  wept  because  they 
could  not  do  the  same.  In  a  letter  written  December,  1848, 
the  pupils  say,  "  The  last  day  of  the  term  was  monthly  con- 
cert. We  had  a  good  time  of  prayer,  and  then  a  collection, 
which  went  up  to  thirty-two  sahib  korans  —  (seven  dollars.) 
We  hope  this  will  be  increased,  and  used  for  sending  the 
gospel  to  the  poor  people  of  the  mountains." 

They  were  accustomed  to  devote  several  hours  a  week 
to  sewing  for  some  benevolent  object.  At  the  close  of  one 
term  the  articles  thus  prepared  were  sold  for  sixteen  dol- 
lars, and  the  proceeds  sent  to  Aintab  to  pay  for  teaching 
women  there  to  read. 

(280) 


PROGRESS   AND   PROMISE.  281 

The  same  virtue  was  assiduously  cultivated  in  the  people. 
Deacons  John  and  Yonan  had  for  some  time  been  urged  to 
take  up  a  collection  at  the  monthly  concert  at  Geog  Tapa, 
but  they  dared  not  try ;  not  that  they  did  not  wish  it,  but 
they  feared  that  the  people,  in  their  poverty,  might  take 
oifence  at  the  innovation.  At  length,  on  the  first  Sabbath 
of  1852,  John  preached  on  the  subject,  and  a  few  korans 
(worth  twenty  cents  each),  were  contributed.  The  first 
Sabbath  of  February  it  was  Yonan's  turn  to  preach  there. 
So  he  prepared  himself  thoroughly  on  this  subject, — Miss 
Fiske  had  read  with  him  the  prize  essays  on  Benevolence, 
published  by  the  American  Tract  Society, — and,  carrying  his 
map  into  a  crowded  church,  he  spoke  at  some  length  about 
missions  in  various  parts  of  the  world.  His  account  was 
well  received.  Then  Bibles  were  distributed  through  the 
church,  and  the  readers  were  called  on  to  read  passages 
previously  selected,  showing,  first,  the  antiquity  of  benevo- 
lent contributions  ;  secondly,  that  the  poor  were  to  give  as 
well  as  the  rich ;  and  thirdly,  that  the  blessing  of  God  was 
promised  to  the  benevolent.  The  readers  were  scattered 
all  over  the  church,  and  the  jjeople  listened  with  great 
attention.  Then  several  spoke  on  the  subject,  and  the 
elders  of  the  village  gave  the  work  their  hearty  approval. 
Afternoon  came,  and  as  the  time  for  meeting  drew  near, 
old  and  young  were  eagerly  engaged  in  getting  ready 
their  contributions  (in  Geog  Tapa  the  monthly  concert  is 
held  on  Sabbath  afternoon),  and  as  many  as  two  hundred 
came  together.  There  were  remarks  and  prayers,  and 
while  the  missionary  hymn  was  being  sung  at  the  close, 
the  collection  was  taken  up,  amounting,  in  money  and  cot- 
ton yarn,  to  more  than  fifteen  korans.  One  sick  boy,  who 
had  heard  what  was  going  on,  rose  from  his  bed,  and  crept 
in  to  dej:tosit  his  little  coin.  Instead  of  spending  their 
24* 


282  WOMAN    AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 

saints'  days  in  idleness,  as  had  been  the  custom,  many  now 
wrought  on  those  days  to  earn  money  for  giving,  saying  to 
objectors  that  it  was  better  to  labor  for  the  spread  of  the 
gospel  than  to  be  idle  for  Satan.  Mr.  Stoddard  attended 
the  March  concert,  with  some  idols  from  India,  and  so 
interested  the  people  that  the  collection  amounted  to  more 
than  twenty-five  korans,  thus  the  good  work  went  on. 

After  this  the  spirit  of  benevolence  steadily  increased, 
and  instances  of  marked  self-denial  were  not  wanting.  It 
shows  at  once  their  poverty  and  their  disposition  to  do 
what  they  could,  that  at  the  monthly  concert  a  basket 
was  passed  round  along  with  the  contribution  box,  to 
receive  eggs  from  the  little  children  and  such  as  were  too 
poor  to  give  any  thing  else.  Crosses  of  ivory  or  silver  were 
often  found  among  the  contributions. 

One  day,  a  man  was  seen  to  take  a  silver  coin  out  of  his 
purse ;  and  as  the  missionary  went  on  to  describe  more  of 
the  condition  of  the  heathen  world,  a  second  and  a  third 
was  taken  out,  and  held  in  readiness  for  the  collection.  At 
another  time,  a  woman,  whom  she  had  not  seen  before, 
asked  for  a  private  interview  with  one  of  the  ladies  of  the 
mission;  and  when  alone,  besides  requesting  prayer  that 
she  might  become  a  Christian,  she  took  out  a  gold  orna- 
ment, the  only  one  of  any  value  that  she  possessed,  which 
had  been  handed  down  as  an  heirloom  in  her  family  for 
several  generations,  and  said  she  wanted  to  give  that  to 
send  the  gospel  to  others,  only  no  one  must  know  who 
gave  it.  The  ornament  was  sold  for  four  dollars  and  fifty 
cents,  and  the  woman,  in  less  than  a  year,  became  a  useful 
Christian.  Sometimes  the  amount  of  interest  might  be 
measured  by  the  number  of  silver  coins  manufactured  into 
buttons  that  were  found  in  the  contribution  box ;  for  when 
their  feelings  were  aroused,  the  women  cut  off  the  fasten- 


PROGRESS   AND   PROMISE.  283 

ings  of  their  outer  garments,  and  cast  them  into  the  Lord's 
treasury. 

But  the  most  remarkable  revival  of  benevolence  occurred 
in  April,  1861 ;  and  we  condense  the  following  account  of 
it  from  a  long  letter  of  Yonan  to  Miss  Fiske  and  Mrs. 
Stoddard :  — 

"The  prayers  and  tears  of  our  missionary  friends  have, 
this  winter,  received  a  joyful  reward  from  our  Father  in 
heaven.  We  were  told  that  the  first  week  in  January 
would  be  devoted  by  all  Christians  to  prayer  for  great 
things,  and  my  heart  was  never  so  enlarged  before.  It 
seemed  as  if  Persia,  nominal  Christendom,  and  all  the 
heathen  were  under  the  power  of  prayer ;  as  if  the  Chris- 
tian's measuring-line  was  stretched  round  the  four  corners 
of  the  earth.  One  day  the  missionaries  met,  as  usual,  for 
prayer  in  Dr.  Wright's  large  room.  It  moved  me  much, 
and  I  said  to  my  companions,  '  They  are  praying  for  us 
while  we  are  idle.'  They  said,  '  It  is  good  that  Ave  sj:)end 
this  half  hour  in  prayer  every  day.'  We  did  so.  On  the 
Sabbath,  I  went  to  my  village,  Geog  Tapa,  and  mentioned 
these  things  to  the  people  at  the  evening  meeting.  The 
Lord  opened  the  mouth  of  Abraham,  who  said,  'Brethren, 
in  these  places  we  are  always  idle  —  let  us  meet  for  prayer 
half  an  hour  before  sunset.'  They  did  so.  The  clouds 
over  our  heads  seemed  loaded  with  blessings :  still  they  did 
not  descend.  Mr.  Cobb  and  Mr.  Ambrose  had  talked  with 
me  about  commencing  in  our 'village  to  support  preachers 
in  the  mountains.  So  did  Mr.  Labaree  last  week.  I  told 
him  of  our  poverty.  He  said,  '  I  am  grieved  for  that ;  but 
begin  with  some  little  thing.' 

"  We  went  to  Geog  Tapa  the  last  Sabbath  in  March. 
John  gave  notice,  as  it  was  the  gospel  Sabbath,  [monthly 
concert  is  so  called],  of  the  contributions  for  our  brothers  in 


284  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR.    . 

India.  In  his  sermon  he  said  that  much  of  our  poverty  is 
from  our  indolence.  Last  year  our  collection  was  fifteen 
tomans.  [A  toman  is  about  two  dollars.]  If  we  had  more 
zeal,  we  might  raise  twenty,  and  that  would  support  a 
preacher  in  the  mountains.  At  once  Guwergis  cried  out,  '  I 
will  give  one.'  I  said,  'We  will  support  one  preacher  and 
two  schools  among  ourselves,  and  if  any  thing  is  over,  we 
will  send  it  far  away.'  Priest  Abraham  approved  of  this. 
Then  all  the  brethren  in  the  congregation  began  to  speak. 
'So  is  good.'  'Thus  we  will  do.'  John  would  have  stilled 
them ;  but  I  said,  '  Perhaps  God  is  blessing  your  preaching ; 
let  them  speak  ;  praised  be  God's  name  forever.'  In  a  mo- 
ment every  obstacle  was  swept  away.  Had  we  known  that 
God  was  so  near,  we  would  have  bowed  our  heads  before  him. 
Now  Aib  Khan  cried,  '  I  give  one  toman ; '  and  '  I,'  said 
Priest  Moses,  '  twelve  korans ;'  and  another,  '  I  two  monats.' 
[A  monat  is  seventy-five  cents.]  Moses  now  took  out  his 
pencil  to  write.  The  Malik  said,  'I  have  often  thought  that 
I  would  put  a  gold  imperial  in  the  box  [four  dollars  and 
fifty  cents];  write  that.'  I  then  said,  'My  family  of  eight 
souls  hear  preaching  all  the  year,  and  three  or  four  attend 
school.  I  am  a  debtor;  write  for  me  three  tomans — it  is 
not  too  much.  When  God  pleases,  excuses  flee  away.' 
High  prices  and  oppression  were  not  thought  of;  we  were 
lords  of  wealth.  Moses  then  said,  '  I  am  troubled  that  I 
remain  to  the  last ;  but  we  are  three  brothers  in  company, 
and  I  know  not  whether  they  will  act  through  me,  or  each 
one  for  himself. '  One  brother  cried  out,  '  Our  agent  and  I, 
five  korans  more.'  Another  man  then  said,  '  I  also  am  at  a 
loss  on  account  of  my  brother;'  and  his  brother  replied, 
'Four  monats.'  These  things  made  brotherly  love  very 
firm.  Guwergis  now  cried  out,  'Women,  where  are  you? 
In  the  wilderness  women   s-ave  their  brazen   mirrors.'     I 


PEOGRESS   AND   PROMISE.  285 

said,  '  Holy  women,  to-day  ends  fifteen  years  of  the  prayers 
of  Christianity  among  ns.  Speak ! '  [It  was  fifteen  years 
since  the  revival  in  1846.]  One  replied,  'I  half  a  monat ;' 
and  'I  a  head-dress;'  'I  a  silver  ornament;'  'I  my  ear- 
rings;' and  so  on.  A  widow  said,  'I  have  kept  my  hus- 
band's coat  till  noAV  ;  I  will  sell  it,  and  give  half  the  price.' 
And  others  made  similar  responses.  Isaac,  a  poor  old 
mountaineer,  gave  two  korans ;  and  another  said,  'I  have 
nothing  but  the  mat  I  sit  on  :  I  give  that.'  It  was  a  new 
one  he  had-just  finished.  A  mother  said,  'I  have  nothing 
now,  but  I  will  give  the  work  of  my  hands  this  winter  —  a 
tope  [ten  yards]  of  cotton  cloth.'  A  pilgrim  said,  '  When 
I  was  in  Jerusalem,  an  Armenian  and  a  Russian  bid  against 
each  other,  and  the  Russian  prevailed,  giving  five  hundred 
tomans  to  the  Greek  convent.  If  they  had  such  zeal  for 
error,  we  ought  to  have  more  for  the  truth.'  And  one  un- 
accustomed to  come  to  church  gave  the  fruit  and  primings 
of  fifteen  rows  in  his  vineyard.  [The  primings  of  the  vines 
are  sold  for  fuel.]  We  were  in  the  church  about  four 
hours.  Time  was  given  for  all  to  contribute,  and  then  we 
spent  a  season  in  joyful  song  and  pleasant  prayer. 

"The  report  of  what  had  been  done  spread  quickly 
through  the  village,  and  my  mother-in-law  sent  word  that 
she  would  give  a  hoonkar  [one  hundred  pounds]  of 
raisins.  At  evening  meeting,  the  house  was  full.  Benja- 
min said,  '  Brethren,  the  teacher  of  our  school  was  one  day 
explaining  the  verse,  "Thou  shalt  not  muzzle  the  mouth 
of  the  ox  that  treadeth  out  the  corn ; "  and  Mr.  Stoddard, 
who  stood  near,  added,  "But  the  Nestorian  oxen  eat  from 
the  straw  of  America."  That  word  has  worked  in  my 
heart  ever  since.  I  trust  that,  hereafter,  we  will  eat  our 
own  straw.'  That  night  we  lay  awake  a  long  time  for 
joy.     In  the  morning,  before  I  was  up,  my  uncle  and  his 


286  WOMAN   AND   HER  SAVIOUR. 

wife  came  and  promised  a  load  of  wheat  [five  bushels]  ; 
and  when  passing  through  the  village,  a  woman  put  an 
ornament  in  my  pocket  to  sell  for  the  cause. 

"  Monday  we  came  to  the  city  for  the  gospel  day  [the 
concert  is  held  there  on  Monday],  and  every  one  who  met 
us  remarked  our  glad  faces.  In  the  meeting,  after  Mr. 
Coan  spoke,  John  opened  a  bundle  of  the  gifts,  and  Moses 
described  the  scenes  of  the  day  before.  I  said,  'One 
toman  led  to  sixty  in  our  village  yesterday :  perhaps  it  will 
lead  to  hundreds  more.  Many  times  the  good  in  the  heart 
of  the  Christian  comes  up  into  his  mouth,  and  then  goes 
back ;  but  when  the  power  of  .God  prevails,  it  not  only 
comes  into  the  mouth,  but  comes  forth  and  abounds.' 
Priest  Moses  arose,  and  said,  '  As  long  as  a  man  is  sick, 
it  is  no  shame  if  he  does  not  walk  ;  but  if  the  blood  walks 
well  in  his  veins,  and  he  becomes  fat,  and  still  lies  in 
bed,  every  one  reproaches  him.  We  have  grown  fat ;  and 
how  long  shall  we  lie  under  the  quilts?'  Priest  Yakob 
added,  'For  twenty-five  years  we  have  said,  "Let  the  Lord 
go  before;"  and  now  that  he  has  come,  let  us  wait  no 
longer,  but  give.'  He  gave  two  tomans,  and  others  fol- 
lowed. Mar  Yohanan's  wife  gave  a  toman  of  ornaments, 
and  almost  every  girl  in  school  from  one  koran  to  three  or 
four.  Isras,  of  Degala,  gave  fifteen  tomans  and  a  new 
vineyard  that  he  had  recently  bought.  Guwergis,  who 
had  already  proposed  to  plough  the  field  the  second  time, 
now  rose,  and  opening  his  hand,  said,  '  If  a  man  thrust  his 
hand  into  a  pile  of  gold,  and  give  of  it  to  God,  is  it  a  great 
thing  when  He  has  filled  his  hand  with  the  blood  of  his 
Son,  and  given  it  to  us?'  Sagoo,1  of  Gulpashan,  said,  'My 
father  gave  each  of  my  two  sisters  thirty  tomans.  When 
Hannah  died,  hers  became  mine.     I  give  it  for  the  bride's 

1  See  page  209. 


PROGRESS   AND   PROMISE.  287 

veil ;  [The  kingdom  of  Christ  is  here  spoken  of  as  the 
bride],  also  a  silver  watch.'  One  who  had  only  two  or 
three  sheep  promised  one  of  them.  My  little  girl,  Sherin, 
had  asked,  a  few  days  before,  for  a  new  dress.  She  now 
sent  word  to  me  that  she  would  do  without  it  for  a  year, 
if  I  would  give  the  money  for  the  gospel.  I  cannot  fully 
describe  the  spirit  of  the  meeting :  we  went  out  wondering 
and  congratulating  each  other  at  having  witnessed  such  a 
pleasant  sight.  At  the  evening  meeting  one  said,  '  I  heard 
in  the  market  what  you  were  doing;  I  give  a  gun,  the 
price  of  which  was  seven  and  a  half  tomans.'  Some  gave 
for  themselves,  and  others  for  their  wives  and  children. 
Moses  gave  four  monats  for  his  brother's  children.  There 
were  tithes  and  sixths,  fifths  and  fourths,  thirds  and  halves, 
of  crops  of  hay  and  grapes.  Priest  Abraham  said,  '  We 
say  a  thief  will  never  own  a  house.  Did  you  ever  see 
one  that  had  wealth  ?  We  are  thieves,  and  therefore  are 
so  poor.  We  have  robbed  God.  I  will  give  a  tithe  of  my 
vineyard.'  Another  replied,  '  And  I  of  every  thing.'  And 
a  man,  who  had  before  given  one  quarter  of  his  vineyard, 
now  gave  the  half.  A  widow,  who  had  nothing  but  a  cow, 
pledged  a  hepta  [four  pounds]  of  butter.  A  poor  man, 
who  has  a  few  fruit  trees  in  his  yard,  promised  ten  heptas 
of  apricots.  Guwergis  spoke  up,  'We  have  butter:  what 
shall  we  cook  in  it  for  the  bride?'  A  woman  answered,  '  I 
give  four  heptas  of  rice;'  to  which  her  husband  added  two. 

"Mar  Elias  now  kissed  us  much  ;  he  put  nineteen  korans 
into  John's  hand,  saying,  'As  yet  I  have  not  grown  indif- 
ferent.' And  Mar  Yohanan  said,  with  tears,  '  The  crown 
of  the  bride  remains  for  me.     I  give  thirty  tomans.' 

"  In  our  village,  besides  the  tithes,  seventy  tomans  were 
collected,  and  in  the  city  two  hundred  and  fifty.  I  hope 
the  whole  will  go  up  to  five  hundred  or  more.     I  stand 


288  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

amazed.  I  can  think  nothing  but, '  I  am  a  miserable  sinner.' 
The  glorious  God  has  gone  before  us  in  mercy.  For  two 
or  three  years  our  village  was  going  down;  we  were  at 
variance  and  in  trouble ;  but  Immanuel  has  met  us  with  a 
blessing,  a  hundred  fold  beyond  our  expectation.  It  is  the 
beginning  of  a  great  work  for  future  generations.  I  know 
that  the  joy  of  heaven  is  awakened  in  the  joy  of  blessed 
Mr.  Stocking  and  Mr.  Stoddard.  I  want  to  fly  to  them 
and  talk  with  them  about  it,  but  this  veil  does  not  allow 
it.  You,  too,  will  want  to  fly  to  the  peojDle  that  are  so 
dear  to  you.  I  trust  that  this  poming  out  of  such  a  spirit 
will  be  the  door  of  many  blessings.  We  have  had  a 
scarcity  for  seven  years,  so  that  wheat  is  six  times  its 
former  pi'ice.  Our  people  are  poor  and  sorely  oppressed. 
From  the  depths  of  their  poverty  they  have  given  :  I 
never  knew  them  before.  If  all  were  Christians,  what 
might  we  not  see  ?  Perhaps  the  poor  widows  and  orphans, 
who  have  contributed  for  our  good,  have  been  discouraged ; 
but  truly  their  gifts  have  not  been  sown  in  vain  among 
our  people.  I  believe  at  the  last  day  you  will  see  fruit 
according  to  the  word  .of  Jesus  —  thirty,  sixty,  and  a 
hundred  fold.  The  time  is  not  far  off  when  every  con- 
verted Nestorian  will  go  to  ten  Mussulmen  to  teach  them 
the  word  of  God. 

"  Pray  for  us  more  than  ever,  for  many  are  the  enemies 
of  Nehemiah  and  ruined  Jerusalem.  Our  hope  is  in  God. 
He  has  begun,  and  he  will  finish." 

The  pledges  then  made  have  since  been  fulfilled,  with 
very  few  exceptions,  and  that  not  regretfully,  but  with  a 
heartiness  truly  affecting  to  those  who  knew  their  poverty. 
In  July,  1861,  the  mission  resolved  to  furnish  no  teacher 
for  a  school  —  except  in  new  villages  —  where  a.  part  of 
his  support  was  not  assumed   by  the   people.     The   Bar- 


PROGRESS    AND    PROMISE.  289 

audooz  congregation,  in  the  spring  of  1862,  cheerfully 
assumed  the  burden  of  their  schools ;  and  some  have  also 
expressed  a  readiness  to  aid  in  the  support  of  their  pastors. 
A  number  of  pupils,  in  both  Seminaries,  contribute  liberally 
towards  their  support. 

In  bringing  to  a  close  these  glimpses  of  the  changes 
■wrought  by  grace  among  the  Nestorians,  we  must  not  pass 
by  the  number  of  pious  parents  who  now  aid  the  mission- 
aries by  their  prayers.  While,  in  the  early  days  of  the 
Seminary,  its  teacher  was  left  to  pray  alone  for  her  pupils, 
before  she  left,  in  1858,  she  rejoiced  to  know  that  two 
thirds  of  them  had  either  a  pious  parent,  or  other  mem- 
ber of  the  family,  who  prayed  for  their  salvation. 

One  cold  morning,  in  1856,  a  pious  mother  walked  three 
miles  through  the  snow,  to  inquire  if  there  was  any  inter- 
est in  the  school.  "  Why  do  you  ask  ?  "  replied  the  teacher. 
"  I  have  thought  of  you  continually  for  two  or  three  days ; 
and  last  night,  after  falling  asleep,  thinking  about  you,  I 
dreamed  that  God  was  visiting  you  by  his  Holy  Spirit. 
So,  when  I  awoke,  I  arose  and  baked,  and  hurried  here.  I 
am  so  anxious  about  my  daughter!  Can  I  see  her?"  She 
was  told  that  her  daughter  was  among  the  inquirers  the 
evening  before,  and  sank  down  where  she  stood,  weeping 
for  joy.  The  heart  of  the  teacher  grew  strong  in  the  feel- 
ing that  the  mothers  were  wrestling  with  her.  The  mother 
passed  into  an  adjoining  room  to  see  her  daughter ;  and  a 
missionary  brother,  who  came  in  just  then,  could  not 
restrain  his  tears  as  he  listened  to  her  earnest  intercessions, 
saying,  "This  is  more  to  me  than  any  thing  I  have  seen  in 
Persia."  After  that  year,  some  parents,  when  they  came  to 
the  Seminary,  were  never  willing  to  leave  till  they  had 
prayed  with  their  children.     A  father  once  wrote,  "  Yester- 


290  WOMAN   AND    HER   SAVIOUR. 

day  I  invited  some  Christian  friends  to  my  house,  and  had 
three  prayers  offered  for  the  school ;  and  while  praying  for 
you,  we  felt  our  own  sins  very  much,  and  cried  to  God  to 
save  us  from  their  power." 

Nor  were  the  pupils  wanting  in  interest  for  their  impen- 
itent parents.  During  the  long  vacation  in  1850,  Hanee, 
who  used  to  spend  several  hours  a  day  in  prayer  for  her 
mother,  so  pressed  her  with  entreaties  to  come  to  the 
Saviour,  that  one  day  she  roughly  replied,  "  Enough ! 
Enough  !  Stop  your  praying  and  weeping  for  me :  you  will 
weep  yourself  blind."  "  O  mother,"  wTas  the  beautiful 
reply,  "  it  seems  as  though  I  would  gladly  become  blind,  if 
thereby  you  might  be  brought  to  Jesus." 

Perhaps  the  effects  of  grace  were  nowhere  more  con- 
spicuous than  in  the  effects  it  produced  in  those  great 
households  already  described.  Let  us  first  look  in  on  the 
hinderances  they  occasioned  to  a  life  of  piety.  Yonan 
writes,  in  his  journal  of  March  7,  1858,  "Widow  Hatoon  is 
a  devout  woman,  and  tries  to  erect  the  family  altar  in  her 
house ;  but  it  is  very  difficult.  She  often  collects  the  read- 
ers in  the  neighborhood  on  Sabbath  morning,  to  read  the 
Bible  with  her  family.  I  asked  her,  'Do  you  pray  with 
your  children  ?  They  have  no  father ;  they  are  left  in  your 
hands,  and  God  will  require  them  of  you  again.'  'I  do; 
but  I  find  it  very  hard  in  our  house  :  we  are  all  in  one 
room,  our  beds  very  near  each  other,  and  there  is  no  sep- 
arate chamber :  when  about  to  retire,  I  gather  them 
together  behind  a  quilt,  and  talk  and  pray  with  them.' " 

Again  he  writes,  "  Hatoon,  the  wife  of  Sarhoosh,  is  a 
member  of  a  large  family.  Three  of  the  women  in  the 
house,  and  one  of  their  husbands,  fear  God ;  but  the  older 
members  of  the  household  are  very  Avicked,  and  even  vio- 
lent  in   their   opposition.      She   is   much   troubled   about 


PROGRESS   AND   PROMISE.  291 

family  prayer.  "While  the  devout  ones  engage  in  worship 
at  one  end  of  the  room,  the  rest,  at  the  other  end,  talk, 
laugh,  and  revile." 

Yet,  even  in  such  households,  grace  reveals  its  divine 
power.  We  find  Yonan  putting  this  question  to  a  com- 
municant:  "Do  you  and  M.  live  pleasantly  together?"  M. 
was  her  sister-in-law,  in  a  household  of  more  than  thirty 
souls.  "She  is  a  little  quick  tempered,"  was  the  reply; 
"but  I  try  not  to  trouble  her,  and  to  have  our  love  perfect 
that  we  may  be  a  good  example  to  the  rest."  Yonan 
prayed  with  her,  and  asked  if  he  could  do  any  thing  for 
her  relatives.  "Dear  brother  in  Christ,"  she  replied,  "in 
the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  our  precious  Saviour,  I  beg 
you  to  pray  with  .my  husband :  it  may  be  God  will  bless 
him."  "  My  sister,  God  will  bless  him :  this  your  anguish 
shall  be  turned  into  joy."  "My  own  heart  was  moved," 
adds  the  narrator.  "  I  saw  my  own  love  very  little,  com- 
pared with  hers,  and  felt  my  unworthiness  very  much." 

The  change  in  their  social  condition  was  beautifully  illus- 
trated by  a  little  incident  in  the  Seminary,  in  1849.  One 
of  the  older  pupils  had  been  betrothed ;  but  when  the  ring 
of  betrothal  was  brought,  to  be  placed  on  her  finger,  she 
could  not  be  found.  After  long  search,  her  gentle  voice 
was  heard  in  the  most  retired  part  of  the  building,  implor- 
ing the  blessing  of  God  to  abide  with  her  in  that  new 
relation.  Only  those  who  had  seen  the  rioting  and  folly 
common  on  such  occasions  could  appreciate  the  change. 

The  marriage  of  Mar  Yohanan,  in  1859,  was  a  step  in 
the  work  of  lifting  up  woman  to  her  true  position.  For- 
merly, marriage  had  been  deemed  something  too  unholy  for 
a  bishop  ;  and  the  consequence  was  the  general  degrada- 
tion of  the  sex.  The  entrance  of  the  gospel  corrected 
public  sentiment  on  this  point ;  and  that  act  of  the  bishop 


292  WOMAN   AND   HER   SAVIOUR. 

only  gave  expression  to  the  popular  conviction  that  mar- 
riage is  honorable  in  all,  even  the  highest  and  holiest,  nur- 
turing some  of  the  loveliest  graces  of  the  Christian  charac- 
ter. The  event  for  a  time  caused  some  stir  among  the 
enemies  of  the  truth ;  but  it  soon  died  away,  and  the  old 
ascetic  views  of  piety  are  passing  away  with  the  social 
degradation  in  which  they  had  their  origin. 

About  the  same  time  Yohanan,  whom  we  have  seen  labor- 
ing in  the  mountains  with  his  estimable  wife,  was  ordained 
to  the  work  of  the  ministry  without  any  of  the  mummeries 
that  had  been  added  to  the  simple  usage  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament ;  the  venerable  Mar  Elias  uniting  with  the  mission- 
aries in  the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the  presbytery. 
Two  months  later,  six  more  of  the  most  pious  and  best 
educated  young  men,  who  had  long  deferred  ordination 
through  aversion  to  the  old  forms,  followed  his  example ; 
among  them  our  mountain  friend  Oshana,  Deacon  John, 
of  Geog  Tapa,  and  Deacon  Yakob,  of  Supergan.  Mar- 
riage ceremonies  and  entertainments  have  long  been 
improved,  and  the  revelling  of  former  days  on  such  occa- 
sions is  going  into  deserved  disuse  among  the  more  en- 
lightened. 

In  the  year  1858,  the  people  of  Memikan  left  off  keeping 
their  fasts,  on  the  ground  that  they  tended  to  nullify  sal- 
vation by  grace  through  Jesus  Christ.  Formerly  this 
would  have  brought  down  on  them  the  wrath  of  the  patri- 
arch, their  village  would  have  been  devoted  to  plunder  and 
the  torch,  and  themselves  to  death  or  exile  ;  but  now  it 
caused  scarce  a  ripple  on  the  current  of  events  —  not  that 
men  did  not  see  the  drift  of  things,  but  they  allowed  it  to 
have  free  course. 

There  is  another  sign  of  the  times  that  calls  for  more 
special  mention.     Other  missions  in  Western  Asia  had  buen 


PROGRESS    AND    PROMISE.  293 

forced  by  persecution  to  the  early  formation  of  churches. 
They  had  to  provide  a  fold  for  the  lambs  driven  from  their 
former  shelter.  Here  there  had  been  no  such  necessity; 
yet  the  converts  longed  for  a  more  spiritual  observance  of 
gospel  ordinances. 

The  mission  had  hitherto  celebrated  the  Lord's  supper 
by  themselves,  and  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  no  Nesto- 
rian  had  witnessed  its  observance.  There  had  been  some 
thought  of  admitting  them  ;  but  nothing  had  been  done,  till, 
in  the  spring  of  1854,  three  of  the  converts,  who  had  been 
reading  an  English  treatise  on  the  subject,  asked  one  of  the 
ladies  of  the  mission  to  intercede  with  the  gentlemen  to 
allow  them  to  be  present:  She  informed  Mr.  Stoddard  of 
their  request,  and  he  encouraged  them  to  go  forward.  The 
matter  was  laid  before  the  mission,  and  it  was  concluded 
that  a  few  of  those  judged  most  fit  for  admission  to  the 
ordinance  should  be  invited  to  partake. 

The  first  communion  to  which  the  converts  were  admit- 
ted was  celebrated  in  September,  1854,  in  the  large  room 
on  the  lower  floor  of  the  Female  Seminary.  Between 
thirty  and  forty  partook  with  the  missionaries,  and  three  of 
them  were  women,  who  had  graduated  there.  After  the 
service,  some  of  the  men  went  up  stairs  and  sat  down  with- 
out speaking.  Miss  Fiske,  not  knowing  the  cause  of  their 
silence,  and  fearing  lest  they  might  have  been  disappointed 
by  the  simplicity  of  our  forms,  did  not  venture  to  allude  to 
the  subject,  till  one  of  them  asked,  "Is  it  always  so  when 
you  commune,  or  wns  this  an  unusual  occasion  ?  "  "  Why, 
did  you  not  enjoy  it?"  "Not  enjoy  it !  Jesus  Christ  him- 
self seemed  almost  visibly  present ;  it  was  difficult  to  realize 
that  it  was  not  the  Saviour  in  person  who  presided  at  the 
table.  It  must  have  been  just  such  a  scene  when  the 
ordinance  was  first  instituted  in  Jerusalem  ;  and  I  could 
25* 


294  WOMAN    AND    HER    SAVIOUR. 

not  get  rid  of  the  inquiry,  '  Shall  one  of  us  go  out  like 
Judas  and  betray  him?'"  It  is  a  significant  faotrthat  those 
most  accustomed  to  mediaeval  forms,  when  regenerated  by 
the  Spirit,  relish  them  the  least;  and  the  more  spiritual 
they  become,  the  more  they  crave  the  simple  forms  of  the 
New  Testament,  because  they  draw  the  least  attention  to 
themselves,  and  fix  it  most  completely  on  the  Saviour. 

In  January,  1855,  as  many  as  seventy  of  the  converts, 
after  careful  examination,  were  allowed  to  partake;  and 
once  every  four  months  the  privilege  was  renewed,  with 
an  accession  of  from  twelve  to  thirty  communicants  each 
time.  These  were  occasions  of  unusual  interest.  Several 
days  were  devoted  to  religious  meetings,  and  even  in  mid- 
winter pious  people  made  long  journeys,  and  crossed  bleak 
mountains  on  the  snow,  to  attend  them.  One  woman, 
Hoimar,  of  Salmas,*  travelled  sixty  miles,  through  deep 
snow  and  piercing  cold,  to  be  present  at  this  ordinance 
in  January,  1858. 

In  June  of  that  year,  the  better  to  distinguish  those 
entitled  to  this  privilege,  before  the  sacrament  all  entered 
together  into  solemn  covenant  with  God.  The  whole 
number  received  up  to  that  time  was  two  hundred  and 
forty-nine;  at  the  close  of  1861,  it  had  swelled  to  five  hun- 
dred. As  the  meetings  became  too  unwieldy,  and  it  was 
inconvenient  for  so  many  to  come  so  far,  the  ordinance  was 
administered  at  Seir  also,  in  September,  1858;  and  here 
providentially  another  end  was  secured,  for  as  Dr.  Wright 
was  then  too  sick  to  distribute  the  elements,  some  of  the 
natives  had  to  perform  that  service.  In  June  following,  a 
very  interesting  communion  was  observed  at  Memikan  ; 
Yohanan  and  his  wife  crossing  a  high  mountain,  even  then 
covered  with  snow,  to  bring  their  little  child  for  baptism. 

*  See  page  171. 


PEOGRESS   AND   PROMISE.  295 

Next  year,  the  ordinance  was  celebrated  in  every  village 
where  there  was  a  sufficient  number  of  hopeful  converts  to 
justify  its  observance.  Thus  has  God  led  his  people,  step 
by  step,  in  a  way  that  they  knew  not,  till  now  there  are  all 
the  essentials  of  a  church  at  every  place  where  God  has 
raised  up  members  of  the  body  of  Christ.  They  enter  into 
covenant  with  him  and  with  each  other.  They  keep  his 
ordinances,  and  grow  in  grace,  in  knowledge,  and  in  num- 
bers. They  may  take  one  step  farther.  Since  this  last 
sentence  was  written,  the  church  organization  has  been 
completed  by  the  adoption  of  a  creed  and  directory  for 
worship. 

Did  the  limits  of  this  volume  allow,  it  would  be  pleasant 
to  dwell  at  length  on  the  labors  of  Miss  Mary  Susan  Rice, 
who  joined  Miss  Fiske  in  November,  18-47,  and  has  ever 
since  toiled  diligently,  and  without  interruption,  at  her  post. 
Since  the  return  of  Miss  Fiske  she  has  entered  into  all  her 
labors,  botli  thoroughly  and  successfully.  Her  fifteen  years 
of  toil  will  never  be  forgotten  by  those  who  have  been 
privileged  to  receive  her  instructions,  both  in  and  out  of 
the  Seminary.  They  form  an  important  part  of  the  instru- 
mentalities God  has  employed  to  bring  woman  in  Persia  to 
the  knowledge  of  her  Saviour.  A  mass  of  her  correspond- 
ence now  lies  before  the  writer,  which  he  has  read  with 
much  interest ;  but  to  quote  from  it  would  only  be  repro- 
ducing scenes  already  portrayed.  It  is  not  necessary  to 
describe  the  laying  of  each  course  of  brick  in  the  walls  of 
the  spiritual  temple. 

One  sentence,  however,  now  arrests  my  eye,  which  I 
must  quote,  because  it  shows  how  the  Saviour  was  prepar- 
ing her  for  the  sole  care  of  the  school,  that  has  devolved 
on  her  ever  since,  owing  to  the  protracted  illness  of  Miss 
Aura  J.  Beach,  who   was  pent  out  to  her   assistance   in 


296  WOMAN1    AND    HER    SAVIOUR. 

February,  1860.  "Writing  to  her  predecessor,  three  years 
ago,  she  says,  "  O,  what  a  relief,  to  roll  the  burdens,  which 
we  cannot  bear,  upon  the  strong  arm  outstretched  to  help, 
and  feel  that,  like  sinking  Peter,  we  shall  be  sustained  amid 
raging  billows ! " 

Labor  among  the  Nestorians  is  becoming  more  assim- 
ilated to  labor  at  home.  Instead  of  the  national  peculiari- 
ties conspicuous  at  the  outset,  different  from  our  own,  and 
prominent  because  so  different,  things  begin  to  move  in 
familiar  orbits,  because  they  set  out  from  similar  condi- 
tions and  tend  to  like  results.  In  proportion  as  the  gos- 
pel advances  in  its  work,  the  distinguishing  characteristics 
of  a  people  fall  into  the  background,  to  give  place  to 
those  spiritual  features  common  to  the  work  of  grace  in 
every  land.  The  river  is  most  picturesque  high  up  among 
the  mountains,  while  its  stream  is  yet  small  and  many 
obstacles  oppose  its  course  ;  after  it  glides  out  from  among 
the  hills  into  the  open  plain,  it  moves  with  larger  volume, 
but  in  a  more  monotonous  current,  to  the  sea. 

May  the  work  of  God  advance,  till  this  unity  of  all 
nations  in  Jesus  Christ  shall  every  where  replace  the" 
diversity  and  hostility  under  which  to-day  creation  groans, 
till  in  the  placid  surface  of  such  a  river  of  life  the  Saviour 
shall  see  his  own  image  reflected,  as  it  is  from  the  sea  of 
glass  above! 


APPENDIX. 


TABULAR   VIEW   OF   SCHOOLS. 


Seminary  Pupils. 

Pupils  in  Schools. 

Male. 

Female. 

Boys. 

Girls. 

1840 

39 

23 

17 

414 

25 

501 

1841 

28 

18 

20 

430 

40 

516 

1842 

70 

18 

40 

635 

128 

851 

1843 

55 

22 

44 

948 

117 

1142 

1844 

30 

26 

E 

ismissed  this  yea 

r. 

1845 

40 

40 

32 

382  in  all. 

462 

1846 

40 

36 

30 

441 

21 

538 

1847 

37 

36 

36 

517 

91 

681 

1848 

40 

30 

33 

463 

45 

578 

1849 

44 

35 

32 

473 

125 

677 

1850 

44 

30 

35 

487 

166 

727 

1851 

40 

42 

45 

1023  in  all. 

1105 

1852 

40 

50 

60 

777 

261 

1128 

1853 

42 

48 

79 

990 

365 

1445 

1854 

73 

1092 

153 

1855 

50 

48 

58 

796 

301 

1195 

1856 

40 

40 

53 

611 

283 

974 

1857 

54 

39 

63 

1200  in  all. 

1293 

1858 

47 

40 

54 

1135  in  all. 

1222 

1859 

50 

30 

68 

936 

494 

1510 

1860 

54 

30 

48 

678 

367 

1129 

(297) 


INDEX. 


Abandoned  woman  of  Degala,  143. 
Abduction  of  pupils,  attempt  at,  25, 

155. 
Abraham,  Priest,  51, 164,  211,  284,  287. 

His  sister  converted,  <J3. 
Accommodations  for  the  night,  28. 
Alpine  scenery,  74. 
Ambassador's,  the  English,  visit  to 

the  school,  147. 
Ambrose,  Rev.  Thomas  L.,  283. 
Anarchy  in  Oroomiah,  158. 
Anger,  sin  of,  144. 
Ardishai,  wild  women  of,  84. 

Persecution  in,  104. 

Labors  in,  212. 
Asker  Khan,  persecution  under,  163, 
168. 

Baba  Khan,  108. 
Babilo,  153. 

Beaten  by  his  father,  155. 

Letter  of,  159. 
Backsliding,  study  of,  137. 
Badal,  205,  209 ;  letter  of,  206. 
Badir  Khan  Bey,  19R 
Beach,  Miss  Aura  J.,  295. 
Beating  of  wives,  18. 
"  Beautiful,  Christ  become,"  179. 
Beds,  15. 
Benevolence  in  the  mountains,  222. 

Of  the  pupils,  280. 

Of  the  people,  281,  282. 

Revival  of,  in  1861,  283-288. 
Bereaved  missionary  mothers,  how 

useful,  278. 
"  Bethel,  The,"  39,  119,  175. 
Betrothed,  the,  prayer  of,  291. 
Bible  as  a  text  book,  42,  43. 

Attachment  of  pupils  to,  55. 


Bible  blotted  with  tears,  138, 178. 
Births  in  stables,  17. 
Birthday's  unknown,  95. 
Boarding  school,  reasons  for,  51, 59. 
Boobawa,  217. 
Books,  school,  54, 55. 
Bread  money,  53. 
Breath,  Edward,  54,  115. 
Mrs.  Sarah  Ann,  219. 
"  Broom,  not  fit  for  an  old,"  179. 
Buffaloes  in  houses  of  Gawar,  16. 

Chardewar,  76. 

Children  of  missionaries,  influence  of 
their  conversion,  146. 
Deaths  of,  a  means  of  good,  278. 
Childless   mother   in   the   maternal 

meeting,  96. 
Chumba,  197. 
Church  organization,  how  it  grew  up, 

293-295. 
Closet,  in  cellar,  100. 
In  wood  cellar,  116. 
In  manger,  143,  180,  274. 
How  prized,  178. 
Marked  with  tears,  195. 
Coan,  Kev.  George  W.,  55,  67,  73,  76, 

197,  286. 
eoBB,  Rev.  Henry  N.,  147, 283. 
Cochran,  Rev.  Jos.  G..  55, 67, 152, 216. 

Mrs.  Deborah  W.,  216. 
Communion,  Nestorians  admitted  to, 
293-295. 
Impression    made   by  our    simple 

form,  293: 
Farewell,  in  1858,  239. 
Compositions,  244-262. 
Condolence,  letters  of,  265-271. 
Conference  of  mountain  helpers,  221. 
(299) 


300 


INDEX. 


Cost  of  education  in  seminary,  59. 

Country  of  Nestorians,  33. 

Courts  of  mission  premises,  36,  40, 

131,  132. 
Courtship,  Christian,  213-215. 

Dairyman's  Daughter,  130. 
Darawe,  21,  77. 

Daughters,  how  regarded,  18, 127. 
Daughter  praying  for   her  mother, 

290. 
Day  in  seminary,  62-64. 
Deaths  of  first  converts,  130-136. 

Of  missionary  children,  278. 
Deformed  women,  270. 
Degala,  wicked  woman  of,  143. 

Visit  there  in  1849,  101. 

Letter  of  Sanum  concerning,  162. 

Letter  of  Deacon  Joseph,  182. 
Desire  to  depart,  135. 
Despondency  dispelled,  144. 
Dishonesty,  22. 

Dizza  TAKKA,  oppression  in,  165. 
Domestic  department  in  seminary,  60. 

Harmony,  291. 

Education,  missionary,  42-45. 
Elevating  influence  of,  270. 
Eggs  contributed  at  monthly  concert, 

282. 
Eneza,  126,  205,  211,  220. 
Enquirer,  first  among  the  women,  82. 
Enquirers,  early,  from  Geog  Tapa, 

96. 
Eshoo,  Priest,  conversion  of,  120,  129. 

Burial  of  child,  152. 
Esli,  journal  of,  66. 
Letter  of,  67,  68. 

Her  prayer  for  Miss  F.  returning 
home,  175. 
Examination    of    seminary  in    1850, 
223—225. 
In  Geog  Tapa,  234-236. 
Excitement,  undue,  how  quelled,  120. 

Family,  unfavorable  situation  of,  16, 
290. 
Evil  influences  in,  161,  290. 
Prayer,  established  by  a  woman,  9<i. 
Farewell    prayer  meeting  in  semi- 
nary, 237-239. 
Fasts  laid  aside,  292. 


Father,  drunken,  his  anxiety  for  his 

daughter,  93. 
Feet  of  guests  bathed  by  women,  264. 
Female  prayer  meetings,  124. 

Missionaries,  unmarried,   position 
of,  54. 
Fields,  labor  of  women  in,  17. 
Fiske,  Miss  Fidelia,  passim. 

Mrs.  Hannah,  letter  to,  272. 
Fording  the  Shaher,  35. 
Fuel  in  Gawar,  15. 
Furniture  of  houses,  15. 

Of  seminary,  40,  44. 

Gavalan,  78. 
Gawar,  houses  in,  15. 

Vacation  in,  73. 
Geog  Tapa,  103,  104. 

Letter  from  women  of,  112. 

Persecution  in,  154. 

Sabbath  school  in,  231-236. 

Monthly  concert  in,  2S1. 
Gozel  of  Geog  Tapa,  265. 
Grant,  Asahel,  M.  D.,  226. 

Mrs.  Judith  S.,  48-50,  127,  223. 

Her  pupils,  50. 
Gratitude  to  Christians  in  America, 

112. 
Guly  of  Geog  Tapa,  107. 

Seir,  205. 

Letter  of,  209. 
Guwergis,  Deacon,  87-92, 155. 

Hair,  wiping  feet  with  the,  264. 
Hakkie,  90,  91. 
Hanee,  51,  234,  237. 

Letter  of,  265. 
Hannah,  of  Geog  Tapa,  135. 

Of  Gulpashan,  205,  207-209,  286. 

A  composition,  257. 
Harmony  in  the  household,  291. 
Hatoon  of  Geog  Tapa,  who  could  not 

pray,  242. 
Heleneh,  192,  190,  198. 
Helpers,  how  trained,  44,  45. 

Labors  of,  106,  111. 
Hoimar,  163. 

Letters  of,  169,  170,  294. 
Holladay,  Rev.  Albert  L.,  51,  53,  98. 
Holyoke,  Mount,  seminary,  letter  to, 
69. 

Answer  to  prayer  in,  189, 190. 


INDEX. 


301 


Home,  no  word  for,  in  Syriac,  14. 
Hormezd,  224. 
Hoshebo,  letters  of,  270,  276. 
Hospitality,  235,  263. 
Houses  and  housekeeping,  15. 

Of  Mawana,  28. 
Husband  who  taught  his  wife  to  read, 
236. 

"  If  you  love  me,  lean  hard,"  64. 
Ignorance  of  women.  19, 83,  95. 
Immorality,  24. 
Importunity  in  prayer,  178,  183-185, 

193. 
Inquisitor  in  seminary,  106. 
Irrigation,  35. 
Isaac,  Deacon,  151, 170,  192. 
Ishtazin,  74. 

John,  Deacon,  99,  113,  115, 116, 137, 173, 
232,  235,  284. 

His  father,  224. 

His  mother,  141. 
Journal  of  Esli,  66-69. 

Of  Yonan,  106-111. 

Of  Sarah  in  mountains,  216-219. 

Keyat,  77. 
Kiiamis,  76. 
Khanumjan,  109,  141. 
KHOSROWA,  persecution  in,  168. 
Kindness  of  pupils  to  teachers,  264. 

Labaree,  Rev.  Benjamin,  Jr.,  283. 
Labor  of  women  in  fields,  17. 
Ladies,  missionary,  unmarried,  posi- 
tion of,  54. 
Lake  of  Oroomiah,  34. 
Letters  of  Babilo,  159. 

Badal,  205. 

Esli,  67,  68. 

Miss  Fiske,  20,  27,  45,  50,  52,  02,  64, 
153,  150,  157,  179,  180,  187. 

Gozel,  265. 

G.uly,  209. 

Hanee,  265. 

Hoimar,  169,  170. 

Hoshebo,  270,  276. 

Joseph  Deacon,  182. 

Martha,  209. 

Munny,  200,  207. 

Nazee,  200-203. 

26 


Letters  of  Oshana,  213-215. 

Pupils,  09,  71. 

Kalieel,  209,  272. 

Sanum,  138,  14S,  102,  266, 271. 

Sarah  of  Geog  Tapa,  215,  216,  220. 

Sarah,  daughter  of  Joseph,  279. 

Selby  of  Vizierawa,  176. 

Women  of  Geog  Tapa,  112. 

Yohanan,  211,  217. 

Yonan,  232-234. 
Lice,  16. 

Licentiousness,  24, 31. 
"  Lost  Soul,  The,"  245-251. 
Loud  praying,  186. 
Lying,  22. 
Lyon,  Mary,  52,  63,  71,  189. 

Madagascar,  47. 

Manger,  closet  in,  143, 180,  274. 

Marbeeshoo,  27-30. 

River  of,  120. 
Mar  Ogen,  70. 

His  prayer,  174. 
Marriage,  early,  18,  51. 

By  force,  18,  101,  141,  170,  196. 

Ceremonies  reformed,  292. 

Former  ideas  of,  291. 
MAR  Shimon,  152-100,  211. 
Martha  of  Geog  Tapa,  110,  134 

Of  Mar  Sergis,  letter  of,  269. 
Mar  Yohanan,  51,  57,  104,  156,  223, 

287,  291. 
Maternal  meetings,  94. 
Mawana,  28. 
Mazrayee,  219. 
Meetings  for  women,  81,  94,  95. 
Melodeon,  69. 
Memikan,  73. 

Mills,  Mrs.  C.  T.,  letter  to,  71. 
Mob  at  mission  premises,  156. 
Monthly  concert,  180,  189,  190. 

At  Geog  Tapa,  281. 
MORESSA  of  Geog  Tapa,  111. 

The  saved  soul,  by,  251-257. 

Of  Supergan,  125. 
Moslem  interference,  25. 

Women,  30,  31. 
Mother,  a  praying,  95,  289. 

Anxious  for  her  daughter,  289. 
Mothers,  bereaved,  usefulness  of,  278. 
Mountaineers,  191. 
Mountains,  191-222. 


302 


INDEX 


Mt.  Holyoke  Seminary,  69,  189, 190. 
Mourning,  Oriental,  273,  274. 
Munny  of  Geog  Tapa,  109,  274. 

Of  Ardishai,  17S. 

Letters  of,  266,  267. 

Nargis  of  Geog  Tapa,  110,  234. 

Her  composition  on  Hannah,  257. 
NAZEE,  192,  196,  197,  199-204. 
Nazloo,  238,  274,  275. 
Nerik,  218. 
"  Noisy  river,"  120. 
Nurses,  pupils  as,  264. 

Ooreya,  75. 
Oppression,  14. 
Ordination  reformed,  292. 
Ornaments,  female,  19,  94,  282,  286. 
Oroomiaii,  34. 
Oshana,  205,  211. 

Letters  of,  213,  214. 

Paper,  slips  of,  239. 

"  Paradise,"  224. 

Pareza,  96,  98. 

Passion,  20,  207. 

Perkins,  Justin,  D.  D.,  61,   115,  118, 

146,  201,  203,  224,  278. 
Peril  of  seminary,  156,  166. 
Perseverance  in  prayer,  183-185. 
Pin  stealing,  23. 
Pit,  story  of  the,  207. 
Poisoning  of  Sanum's  children,  165. 
Population,  33. 
Poverty,  14,  46,  53,  282,  283,  288. 
Prayer,  language  of,  172,  173,  175,  182, 
185. 

On  horseback,  173. 

Broken,  173. 

For  our  country,  174. 

Letter  concerning,  176. 

Importunate,  178, 183-185. 

Munny,  178. 

In  Degala,  182. 

Remarkable  week  of,  1S3. 

Without  ceasing,  184. 

Audible,  186. 

On  roof,  at  midnight,  1S7. 

Here,  connection  of,  with  blessings 
in  Persia,  189. 

Meeting,  farewell,  175,  237-239. 
Preaching,  missionary,  123. 


Premises,  mission,  in  Oroomiah,  36. 
Profanity,  21,  22. 
"  Promise,  The,"  195. 
Pupils,  labors  of,  138-140. 

Quarrelsomeness  of  women,  20. 
Quietness  of  school  in  revival  of  1856, 
145. 
Of  1850,  184. 
Quilts  from  America,  122. 

Raiieel  of  Geog  Tapa,  letters  of,  269, 

272. 
Readers, women,  formerly  none,  19. 
Reading  of  English  in  Syriac,  58. 
Restitution  of  tilings  stolen,  24, 104. 
Reviling  among  women,  21. 

By  a  father,  00. 
Revival  of  1846,  113, 178.    ■ 
Of  1849,  137,  181. 
Of  1850,  183. 
Of  1850,  144. 
Of  1857  aud  1S61,  147. 
Revivals,  number  of,  in    seminary, 

149. 
Rhea,  Rev.  Samuel  A.  and  Mrs.  Mar- 
tha A.,  217. 
Rice,   Miss  Mary  Susan,  39,  46,  62-64, 
67,  80,  141,  147,  156,  206,  210,  220, 
224,  207,  295. 
Ring  of  betrothal,  170,  291. 
Roses,  223. 
Runaway  pupils,  52. 

Saat,  woman  of,  78. 
Sabbath  in  seminary,  64-66. 

Pentecostal,  in  Geog  Tapa,  104. 

School  in  Gavalan,  80. 

In  Geog  Tapa,  106,  231-230. 
Sadee,  108. 
Sana  war,  77. 
Sanum  of  Gawar,  77,  116,  165,  238. 

Valedictory  of,  225. 

"  Lost  Soul,-"  by,  245-251. 

Letters  of,  148,  162,  266,  271. 
Sanum  of  Geog  Tapa,  109. 
Sarah  of  Gawar,  116,  127-133. 
Sarah  of  Tiary,  151,  187,  192,  200. 
Sarah  of  Geog  Tapa,  211-221. 
Sarah,  daughter  of  Joseph,  letter  of, 
279. 


INDEX. 


303 


"  Saved  Soul,  The,"  by  Moressa,  251- 

257. 
Schools  in  Geog  Tapa,  234. 
Seir,  Mount,  34. 

Labors  in  village  of,  138,  216. 
Selby  of  Oroomiah,  100-102. 

Of  Gavalan,  51,  240-242. 

Of  Vizierawa,  letter  of,  176. 
Seminary  building,  39. 

Scholarship,  58. 

Expense,  59. 

Daily  reports,  61. 

Day  in,  62. 

Sabbath  in,  64. 

Broken  up  in  1844,  150. 

Attempts  at  abduction  from,  25, 155. 

Peril  of,  156,  1C6. 

How  regarded  by  foes,  164. 

Inquisitorial  visit  to,  166. 

Labors  with  women  in  the,  93-98. 
Senum's  hospitality,  29. 
SllAHER  river,  35. 
Shoes  restored  to  the  owner,  24. 
Sickness,  accommodations  in,  17. 
Simplicity  of  converts,  121. 
Sing,  unable  to,  14r>. 
Singing  in  the  Sabbath  school,  234. 
Siyad,  conversion  of  wife  of,  140. 
Smoke  in  houses,  15. 
Social  position  of  women,  18, 19, 151, 

224. 
"  Soul,  The  Lost,"  245. 

"  The  Saved,"  251. 
Speaking  in  meeting,  85. 
Spelling  books  begged  for,  224. 
Spirit,  Holy,  resisted,  105. 
Stealing,  22. 

Stevens,  R.  W.,  Esq.,  156, 158. 
Stocking,  Rev.  Wm.  R.,  27,  54,  73, 
78-80,  84,  89,  92,  9S-100,   104,  105, 
115,  118,  120,  129,  148,  288. 
Stocking,  Mrs.  Jerusha  E.,  54,  73,  78, 

84. 
Stoddard,  Rev.  David  T.,  35,  54,  90, 
91,  115-120,  123-125,  152,  168,  180, 
186,  236,  265-267,  279,  282,  285,  288. 


Stoddard,  Mrs.  Harriet,  128,  152, 157, 

227. 
Stoddard,  Mrs.  Sophia  D.,  265-271. 
Stoddard,  Miss  Harriette,  267-270. 
Stupidity  of  women,  83. 
Supergan,  prayer  of  old  man  in,  173. 

Tahiti,  46. 

Talking  in  meeting,  85. 

Tamo,  Deacon,  120,  221. 

Tents,  73. 

Tent  chapel,  79. 

Testament,  how  paid  for,  55. 

Wet  with  tears,  195. 
TlARY  girls,  191,  194. 
Title  of  volume,  33. 
Trials,  connection  of,  with  revivals, 
114. 

Untidiness  of  people,  16. 
Urwlntoos,  218. 

Valedictory,  by  Sanum,  225. 
Vermin,  16. 
Viragoes,  21. 

Widow,  self-denial  of  a  poor,  46. 
Wife  who  learned  to  pray  in  seminary, 

179. 
Wives  beaten,  18. 
Woman,  position  of.  18, 19, 151. 

Not  allowed  to  eat  with  man,  98, 

224. 
Praying  in  meeting,  124. 
Wright,  Austin  H.,  M.  D.,  51,  54,  66, 

115,  118,  168. 

Yahya  Khan,  158. 
Vohanan,  205. 

Letters  of,  211,  217. 
Yonan  of  Geog  Tapa,  75,  106-111,  117, 
141,  195,  198,  234,  235,  281. 

ZACCHEU9,  99. 
Zeal  to  learn,  233. 
Zeer,  218. 


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sets  before  the  reader,  in  a  lucid  manner,  facts  that  should  never  be  forgotten.  Some  of  them,  in 
power  to  awaken  attention  and  touch  the  heart,  could  scarcely  be  surpassed  by  fiction." 

Rev.  E.  Kincaid  says  :  "  As  I  have  labored  more  or  less  at  all  the  stations  in  Burmah,  I  could 
but  admire  the  singular  accuracy  with  which  all  the  leading  facts  of  these  missions  are  detailed  in 
Prof.  Gammell's  History  of  American  Baptist  Missions.  I  have  not  found  a  single  error  of  any 
importance." 

Rev.  J.  Wade  says  :  "  I  can  most  cordially  recommend  it  to  the  public  as  being  a  very  truthful 
and  well-written  work." 

DR.  GRANT    AND  THE    MOUNTAIN    NESTORIANS.     By  Rev. 

Thomas  Laurie,  his  surviving  associate  in  that  Mission.     With  a  Likeness,  Map  of  tha 
Country,  and  numerous  Illustrations.     Third  edition.     Revised  and   improved.     12mo, 
cloth,  $1.25. 
OS""  A  most  valuable  Memoir  of  a  remarkable  man. 

THE  KAREN  APOSTLE;  or,  Memoir  of  Ko-Thah-Byu,  the  first  Karen  Con- 
vert. With  notices  concerning  his  Nation.  By  Rev.  Francis  Mason,  D.  D.,  Missionary. 
Edited  by  Prof.  H.  J.  Ripley.     18mo,  cloth,  25  cts. 

"  This  is  a  work  of  thrilling  interest,  containing  the  history  of  a  remarkable  man,  and  giving, 
also,  much  information  respecting  the  Karens,  a  people  until  recently  but  little  known." 

MEMOIR  OP  ANN  H.  JUDSON,  late  Missionary  to  Burmah.  By  Rev.  J. 
D.  Knowles.     A  new  edition.     Fifty-seventh  thousand.     18mo,  cloth,  58  cts. 

Fine  Edition,  with  plates,  16mo,  cloth,  gilt,  85  cts. 

MEMOIR  OP  GEORGE  DANA  BOARDMAN,  late  Missionary  to  Bur- 
mah, containing  much  intelligence  relative  to  the  Burman  Mission.  By  Rev.  A.  King 
With  an  Introductory  Essay,  by  W.  R.  Williams,  D.  D.  New  edition,  with  beautiful 
frontispiece.     12mo,  cloth,  75  cts. 

"  One  of  the  brightest  luminaries  of  Burmah  is  extinguished."  —  Rev.  Dr.  Judson. 
SSJ™  The  introduction  alone  is  worth  the  price  of  the  book,  says  a  distinguished  reviewer. 

MEMOIR  OF  HENRIETTA  SHUCK,  first  female  Missionary  to  China. 
By  Rev.  J.  B.  Jeter,  D.  D.     With  a  likeness.     Fifth  thousand.     12mo,  cloth,  50  cts. 

"  We  have  seldom  taken  into  our  hands  a  more  beautiful  book  than  this.  It  will  be  extensively 
read,  and  eminently  useful."  —  Family  Visitor. 

MEMOIR  OP  REV.  WILLIAM  G.  CROCKER,  late  Missionary  to  West 
Africa,  among  the  Bassas.  Including  a  History  of  the  Mission.  By  R.  B.  Medbery. 
With  a  likeness.     18mo,  cloth,  63  cts. 

"  Thii  work  is  commended  to  the  attention  of  every  lover  of  the  liberties  of  man."—  Watchman 
smd  Reflector.  (\6) 


WORKS  FOR  BIBLE  STUDENTS. 

KITTO'S  POPULAR  CYCLOPEDIA  OP  BIBLICAL  LITERA- 
TURE. Condensed  from  the  larger  work.  By  th'e  Author,  John  Kitto,  D.  D.  As- 
sisted by  James  Taylor,  D.  D.,  of  Glasgow.  With  over  five  hundred  Illustrations.  One 
volume,  octavo,  812  pp.   Cloth,  $3.00  ;  sheep,  $3.50  ;  cloth,  gilt,  $4.00  ;  half  calf,  $4.00. 

A  Dictionary  of  the  Bible.  Serving,  also,  as  a  Commentary,  embodying  the  products  of 
the  best  and  most  recent  researches  in  biblical  literature  in  which  the  scholars  of  Europe  and 
America  have  been  engaged.  The  work,  the  result  of  immense  labor  and  research,  and  enriched 
by  the  contributions  of  writers  of  distinguished  eminence  in  the  various  departments  of  sacred  liter- 
ature, has  been,  by  universal  consent,  pronounced  the  best  work  of  its  class  extant,  and  the  one  best 
suited  to  the  advanced  knowledge  of  the  present  day  in  all  the  studies  connected  with  theological 
science.  It  is  not  only  intended  for  ministers  and  theological  students,  but  it  is  also  particularly 
adapted  to  parents,  Sabbath-school  teachers,  and  the  great  body  of  the  religious  public. 

THE  HISTORY  OP  PALESTINE,  from  the  Patriarchal  Age  to  the  Present 
Time  ;  with  Chapters  on  the  Geography  and  Natural  History  of  the  Country,  the  Cus- 
toms and  Institutions  of  the  Hebrews.  By  John  Kitto,  D.  D.  With  upwards  of  two 
hundred  Illustrations.     12mo,  cloth,  $1.25. 

EST"  A  work  admirably  adapted  to  the  Family,  the  Sabbath,  and  the  week-day  School  Library. 

ANALYTICAL  CONCORDANCE  TO  THE  HOLY  SCRIP- 
TURES ;  or,  the  Bible  presented  under  Distinct  and  Classified  Heads  or  Topics.  By 
John  Eadie,  D.  D.,  LL  D.,  Author  of  "  Biblical  Cyclopaedia,"  "  Ecclesiastical  Cyclopae- 
dia," "  Dictionary  of  the  Bible,"  etc.  One  volume,  octavo,  S40  pp.  Cloth,  $3.00  ;  shee-p, 
$3.50  •,  cloth,  gilt,  $4.00  ;  half  Turkey  morocco,  $4.00. 

The  object  of  this  Concordance  is  to  present  the  ScRiprrEES  entire,  under  certain  classified 
and  exhaustive  heads.  It  differs  from  an  ordinary  Concordince,  in  that  its  arrangement  depends 
not  on  words,  but  on  subjects,  and  the  verses  are  printed  in  full.  Its  plan  does  not  bring  it  at 
all  into  competition  with  such  limited  works  as  those  of  Gaston  and  Warden  ;  for  they  select  doc- 
trinal topics  principally,  and  do  not  profess  to  comprehend  as  this  the  entire  Bible.  The  work 
also  contains  a  Synoptical  Table  of  Contents  of  the  whole  work,  presenting  in  brief  a  system  of 
biblical  antiquities  and  theology,  with  a  very  copious  and  accurate  index. 

The  value  of  this  work  to  ministers  and  Sabbath-school  teachers  can  hardly  be  over-estimated  ; 
and  it  needs  only  to  be  examined,  to  secure  the  approval  and  patronage  of  every  Bible  student. 

CRHDEN'S  CONDENSED  CONCORDANCE.  A  Complete  Concord- 
ance to  the  Holy  Scriptures.  By  Alexander  Crcden.  Revised  and  Re-edited  by  the 
Rev.  David  King,  LL.  D.    Octavo,  cloth,  $1.00;  sheep,  $1.25. 

The  condensation  of  the  quotations  of  Scripture,  arranged  under  the  most  obvious  head9,  while 
It  diminishes  the  bulk  of  the  work,  greatly  facilitates  the  finding  of  any  required  passage. 

"  We  have  in  this  edition  of  Cruden  the  best  made  better.  That  is,  the  present  is  better  adapted 
to  the  purposes  of  a  Concordance,  by  the  erasure  of  superfluous  references,  the  omission  of  unne. 
cessary  explanations,  and  the  contraction  of  quotations,  &c.  It  is  better  as  a  manual,  and  is  better 
adapted  by  its  price  to  the  means  of  many  who  need  and  ought  to  possess  such  a  work,  than  the 
former  large  and  expensive  edition."  —  Puritan  Recorder. 

A  COMMENTARY  ON  THE  ORIGINAL  TEXT  OP  THE  ACTS 
OP  THE  APOSTLES.  By  Horatio  B.  Hackett,  D.  D.,  Prof,  of  Biblical  Liter- 
ature and  Interpretation,  in  the  Newton  Theol.  Inst.  (nrA  new,  revised,  and  enlarged 
edition.     Royal  octavo,  cloth,  $2.25. 

C@-  This  most  important  and  very  popular  work  has  been  thoroughly  revised  ,■  large  portions 
tntirely  re-written,  with  the  addition  of  more  than  one  himdred  pages  of  new  matter ;  the  result  of 
tha  author's  continued,  laborious  investigations  and  travels,  since  the  publication  of  the  first  edition. 

(22) 


WORKS  OF  HUGH  MILLER, 

THE  OLD  RED  SANDSTONE  ;  or,  New  Walks  in  an  Old  Field.  Illustrated 
with  Plates  ami  Geological  Sections.  New  Edition,  Revised  and  much  Enlarged, 
by  the  addition  of  new  matter  and  new  Illustrations,  etc.     12mo,  cloth,  $1.25. 

This  edition  contains  over  one  hundred  pages  of  entirely  new  matter,  from  the  pen  of  Hugh 
Miller.  It  contains,  also,  several  additional  new  plates  and  cuts,  the  old  plates  re-engraved  and 
improved,  aud  an  Appendix  of  new  Notes. 

"  It  is  withal  one  of  the  most  beautiful  specimens  of  English  composition  to  be  found,  convey- 
ing information  on  a  most  difficult  and  profound  science,  in  a  style  at  once  novel,  pleasing,  and 
elegant"  -Dr.  Speague  — Albany  Spectator. 

THE  FOOT-PRINTS  OP  THE  CREATOR;  or,  the  Asterolepis  of  Strom- 
ness,  with  numerous  Illustrations.  With  a  Memoir  of  the  Author,  by  Louis  Agassiz. 
12mo,  cloth,  $1.00. 

Dr.  Buckland  said  he  would  give  his  left  hand  to  possess  such  power  of  description  as  this  man. 

TESTIMONY  OP  THE  ROCKS;  or,  Geology  in  its  Bearings  on  the  two 
Theologies,  Natural  and  Revealed.  "Thou  shalt  be  in  league  with  the  stones  of  the 
field."—  Job.  With  numerous  elegant  Illustrations.  One  volume,  royal  12mo,  cloth 
$1.25. 

This  is  the  largest  and  most  comprehensive  Geological  Work  that  the  distinguished  author  has 
yet  published.  It  exhibits  the  profound  learning,  the  felicitous  style,  and  the  scientific  perception, 
Which  characterize  his  former  works,  while  it  embraces  the  latest  results  of  geological  discovery. 
But  the  great  charm  of  the  book  lies  in  those  passages  of  glowing  eloquence,  in  which,  having 
spread  out  his  facts,  the  author  proceeds  to  make  deductions  from  them  of  the  most  striking  and 
exciting  character.  The  work  is  profusely  illustrated  by  engravings  executed  at  Paris,  in  the  highest 
style  of  French  art. 

THE  CRUISE  OP  THE  BETSEY;  or,  a  Summer  Ramble  among  the  Fossil- 
iferous  Deposits  of  the  Hebrides.  With  Rambles  of  a  Geologist ;  or,  Ten  Thousand 
Miles  over  the  Possiliferous  Deposits  of  Scotland.     12mo,  cloth,  $1.25. 

Nothing  need  be  said  of  it  save  that  it  possesses  the  same  fascination  for  the  reader  that  charac- 
terizes the  author's  other  works. 

MY  SCHOOLS  AND  SCHOOLMASTERS;  or,  the  Story  of  my  Educa, 
tion.  An  Autobiography.  With  a  full-length  Portrait  of  the  Author.  12mo,  cloth, 
$1.25. 

This  is  a  personal  narrative,  of  a  deeply  interesting  and  instructive  character,  concerning  one  of 
the  most  remarkable  men  of  the  age. 

MY  FIRST  IMPRESSIONS  OP  ENGLAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE. 

With  a  fine  Engraving  of  the  author.  •  12mo,  cloth,  $1.00. 

133-  A  very  instructive  book  of  travels,  presenting  the  most  perfectly  life-like  views  of  England 
and  its  people  to  be  found  in  any  language. 

S3-  The  above  six  volumes  are  furnished  in  sets,  printed  and  bound  in  uniform  style :  viz., 

HUGH  MILLER'S  "WORKS,  Seven  Volumes.  Elegant  embossed  cloth,  $8.25  ; 
library  sheep,  $10.00.  half  calf,  $14.00  ;  antique,  $14.00. 

MACAULAY  ON  SCOTLAND.  A  Critique,  from  the  "Witness."  16mo, 
flexible  cloth,  25  cts.  (28) 


GOULD   AND    LINCOLN, 

59  'WASHINGTON  STREET,  BOSTON, 

Would  call  particular  attention  to  the  following  valuable  works  described 
in  their  Catalogue  of  Publications,  viz. : 

Hugh.   Miller's    Works. 

Bayne's  Works.       Walker's  Works.       Miall's  Works.       Bungener's   Work. 

Animal  of  Scientific  Discovery.      Knight's  Knowledge  is  Power. 

Krummacher's   Suffering  Saviour, 

Banvard's  American  Histories.      The  Aimwell  Stories. 

2fewcomb's  Works.     Tweedie's  Works.     Chambers's  Works.     Harris'  Work*, 

Kitto's  Cyclopaedia  of  Biblical  Literature. 

Mrs.  Knight's  Life  of  Montgomery.        Kitto's  History  of  Palestine. 

Whewell's  Work.     Wayland's  Works.     Agassiz's  Works. 


k  Testimony  of  Eocij 
'\  Ann.  of  Soient.  Disc,,-  " 
%  Earth  and  Man,        '* 
k  Principles  of  Zoology 
\  Comparative  Anitoul 
\  MoUusca  and  Shells 
Wbesaur.  of  £ng.  ^ords 
ft  Knowledge  is  Power, 
\  Cyolop.  of  Eng.  Literat, 
\\  Cyolop.  °f  Bil"e  Lit., 
\  Concord,  of  the  Bible, 
\  Analyt.Cono.  of  Bible 
J  Moral  Science, 
The  Great  W*« 
\lhe  Chris' 


Hugh  Miller. 
Sv  David  A.  Welle. 

Arnold  Quyot 

Louis  Agassiz. 
C.Th.VonSiebold.  , 
Justus  A.  Gould. 
Peter  MarkRo 

A   Charles  Kn,-gh\ 
&  *?>>«*  Chambers. 
J\  *'«o.  -  Cruden. 
Eadie.  _  Williams. 
Francis  Waylaad. 
,\  John  Harris. 


i  Life. 


Peter  Bayne. 


r^c^c 


Ar.'SAfsrlsi 


Williams'  Works.     Guyot's  Works. 

Thompson's  Better  Land.     Kimball's  Heaven.    Valuable  Works  on  Missions, 

Haven's  Mental  Philosophy.     Buchanan's  Modern  Atheism. 

Cruden's  Condensed  Concordance.     Eadie's  Analytical  Concordance. 

The  Psalmist :  a  Collection   of  Hymns. 

Valuable  School  Books.     Works  for  Sabbath  Schools. 

Memoir  of  Amos  Lawrence. 

Poetical  Works  of  Milton,  Cowper,  Scott.       Elegant  Miniature  Volumes. 

Arvine's  Cyclopaedia  of  Anecdotes. 

Bipley's  Notes  on  Gospels,  Acts,  and  Romans. 

Sprague's  European  Celebrities.     Marsh's  Camel  and  the  Hallig. 

Roget's  Thesaurus  of  English  Words. 

Hackett's  Notes  on  Acts.     MTVhorter's  Tahveh  Christ. 

Siebold  and  Stannius's  Comparative  Anatomy.  Mareou's  Geological  Map,  IT.  S, 

Religious  and  Miscellaneous  Works. 

Works  in  the  various  Departments  of  Literature,  Snience  and  Art. 


Date  Due 


■  ' 


